Where did it all go wrong?

When you were young, you couldn't stand bedtime. As you lay in bed, all you could think about was the day ahead and what exciting activities you would participate in. Your heart began pumping at the thought of taking part in one of your many hobbies, eating your favourite meal the next day, or spending time with your friends. You didn't worry so much about personal responsibilities or financial obligations. You didn't have a constant foreboding feeling about your future and whether things would work out. In essence, you were happy and relatively stress free.

Then things changed. You began to notice that there was pain and suffering in the world, some of which you would eventually experience yourself. You became more pessimistic and cynical as the years passed. The expectations formed in youth were not met by your adult self and your mind began to comprehend that happy endings were not guaranteed. You were disappointed and angry; the world was not a fair place where everyone succeeded, as you had been previously informed.

But the rage subsided. You started to lack the energy you once had. You lost the motivation to try new things and recapture that sense of wonder you once possessed. Everything became an effort and no achievement seemed rewarding. You withdrew from activities that used to bring you joy and fulfilment, only to replace them with mind-numbing behaviour that makes you question your self-worth frequently.

Now you look forward to bedtime. The perfect escape from reality. Except for the occasional nightmare and instance of sleep paralysis, you take comfort in the quiet, gentle peace of sleep. You are only a shadow of your former self.

So where did it all go wrong?

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
When you were young, you couldn't stand bedtime. As you lay in bed, all you could think about was the day ahead and what exciting activities you would participate in. Your heart began pumping at the thought of taking part in one of your many hobbies, eating your favourite meal the next day, or spending time with your friends. You didn't worry so much about personal responsibilities or financial obligations. You didn't have a constant foreboding feeling about your future and whether things would work out. In essence, you were happy and relatively stress free.

After years of carrying around useless baggage from past events I cannot change I finally dropped them I feel free once again to view the world in a much more open and balanced manner.

Quite liberating from within.

Now you look forward to bedtime. The perfect escape from reality. Except for the occasional nightmare and instance of sleep paralysis, you take comfort in the quiet, gentle peace of sleep. You are only a shadow of your former self.

Nicely written piece but very assumptive imho.

My former self was only a shadow of who I'd evolve into once I let the past that no longer serves me in the present go.

Out with the old, in with the new.

No?

reply to post by SLAYER69


Thank you for your wise words.

While it is written through a second-person narrative, the piece is really about me. The reason I didn't write it through a first-person perspective is because I wanted to see how many of the readers could relate to what was written. Maybe it was a mistake on my part not to make this clearer?

Too many words.

These two girls in California decided to make a reaction video on a whim. They barely speak, but the reactions are off the chart. Almost spastic yet amusing, high energy and fun.








Then they uploaded it to their social network theonering dot net ... and...
...and...
well, Peter Jackson saw it.

So he showed it to some of the cast.




Here is their reaction to the girls reaction to the trailer for Desolation of Smaug.



Actors will tell you that in the modern movie world it's very easy to feel cut off
and isolated from the fans. As you can see in this video they have no idea
what they are really watching, but the fun of watching their reactions is undeniable.




Then the whole thing blows up across a small corner of the internet,
and someone calls it hobbitception, while the youtube comments fill up
with requests for a reaction to the reaction to the reaction to the trailer video.

Which the two girls immediately did.









I've never seen anything so stupid, and yet so much fun at the same time.
Enjoy!

Mike






p.s. The trailer




[edit] If it [color=gold] all went wrong how does one explain things like this?

WE were conditioned since young to desire what others thought was important, others who structure society. Then when society changes, they make it seem like your parents teachings are old fashioned and that the new way is better, this is not true, simpler is better than complicated. There is no such thing as generation gap, there is no such thing as "We are getting smarter" Humans have been smart for thousands of years, actually we are getting dumber because we are discarding what our ancestors have taught us. You do not discard this info, you incorporate new learnings into the old ways, this way mistakes are lessened. I see that we do not learn from history, making the same sort of mistakes over and over. In the ratrace of consumerism we have erred so bad again that there is no way but down in the immediate future.

This conditioning doesn't have to be a bad thing, but greed and desire for power and prestige always seem to point us in the wrong direction. I may not be religious but I do see some good teachings in the new testiment of the bible, teachings that are often twisted into the lives of the reader to reinforce the view that their deceitful actions are correct.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
reply to post by SLAYER69

 

Thank you for your wise words.

While it is written through a second-person narrative, the piece is really about me. The reason I didn't write it through a first-person perspective is because I wanted to see how many of the readers could relate to what was written. Maybe it was a mistake on my part not to make this clearer?

If it weren't for members sharing as you have I wouldn't be here any longer. Thank you for sharing and making ATS an interesting place to visit on a daily basis

i think a larger question would be, why didn't it all go right?

our society structure is based on millenia of power grabbing, corrupt, rich people who over the centuries have been able to shape society to their benefit and as such have shaped it to the masses detriment.

we have lived in a corrupt society for so long we now think it's normal and it's not. good people constantly review themselves looking for ways to improve, to grow and often forget they're not alone in this great melting pot of spirits.

our society is sick, all a lie, told by generations of people who came before and believed the lies as well. debt based society's with hierarchy based casts will never be right and will never work for anyone but the elite and even they are fooling themselves because they could have so much more than petty hierarchy.

i think it says it best in my sig, "it's no measure of health, to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society" so you're doing fine for the course my friend.

reply to post by Dark Ghost


Great post. Reminds me of the material Pink Floyd covered on the album Division Bell and other places. "The Grass Was Greener"-High Hopes. In fact much of their work has to do with this passing from enthusiastic youth to jaded adult. Mourning the loss of the expectations of youth.

Other works being Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Another Brick The Wall, Welcome To The Machine, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, just to name a few, all having to do with some point along the path when we react to a certain sort of reality that sets in and we are overcome, fed up, confused, reminiscent, or feel consigned to or confronted by the "Stone" as Floyd calls it.

Did they get you to trade
your heroes for ghosts
hot ashes for trees
hot air for a cool breeze....Whish You Were Here

Remember when you were young?
You shone like the sun
Now there's a look in your eyes
like black holes in the sky.....Shine On You Crazy Diamond

....Would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart I'm coming home.....
But it was only fantasy
the wall was to high as you can see
No matter he tried he could not break free
and the worms ate into his brain......Hey You



Who was born in a house full of pain.
Who was trained not to spit in the fan.
Who was told what to do by the man.
Who was broken by trained personnel.
Who was fitted with collar and chain.
Who was given a pat on the back.
Who was breaking away from the pack.
Who was only a stranger at home.
Who was ground down in the end.
Who was found dead on the phone.
Who was dragged down by the stone......Dogs

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then the one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but you're older
And shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines.....Time


"And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I don't mind.
Why should I be frightened of dying?
There's no reason for it, you've gotta go sometime."
"If you can hear this whispering you are dying."
"I never said I was frightened of dying." ......The Great Gig In The Sky

reply to post by Dark Ghost

You didn't worry so much about personal responsibilities or financial obligations. You didn't have a constant foreboding feeling about your future and whether things would work out. In essence, you were happy and relatively stress free.

Right there.

With age comes responsibility. Not just to yourself, but to those around you. As a kid the world is managed for you (usually). Parents and other adults handle the stress and pain which is always there, keeping it from you (at least, most parents do, mine never did). But as you grow older, that responsibility shifts from their shoulders, to yours, and it becomes your responsibility to deal with the stress, the pain, the obligations and emotions which were all kept away from you as a kid.

It never really went wrong. It only seems like it did if you wish to remain forever with the mentality of a child.

~ Wandering Scribe

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
When you were young, you couldn't stand bedtime. As you lay in bed, all you could think about was the day ahead and what exciting activities you would participate in. Your heart began pumping at the thought of taking part in one of your many hobbies, eating your favourite meal the next day, or spending time with your friends. You didn't worry so much about personal responsibilities or financial obligations. You didn't have a constant foreboding feeling about your future and whether things would work out. In essence, you were happy and relatively stress free.

Then things changed. You began to notice that there was pain and suffering in the world, some of which you would eventually experience yourself. You became more pessimistic and cynical as the years passed. The expectations formed in youth were not met by your adult self and your mind began to comprehend that happy endings were not guaranteed. You were disappointed and angry; the world was not a fair place where everyone succeeded, as you had been previously informed.

But the rage subsided. You started to lack the energy you once had. You lost the motivation to try new things and recapture that sense of wonder you once possessed. Everything became an effort and no achievement seemed rewarding. You withdrew from activities that used to bring you joy and fulfilment, only to replace them with mind-numbing behaviour that makes you question your self-worth frequently.

Now you look forward to bedtime. The perfect escape from reality. Except for the occasional nightmare and instance of sleep paralysis, you take comfort in the quiet, gentle peace of sleep. You are only a shadow of your former self.

So where did it all go wrong?

I swear to god that is exactly the way I feel!!..............with sleep paralysis and all!

Originally posted by Dark Ghost


Now you look forward to bedtime. The perfect escape from reality. Except for the occasional nightmare and instance of sleep paralysis, you take comfort in the quiet, gentle peace of sleep. You are only a shadow of your former self.

So where did it all go wrong?

Dude,
You just seriously bummed me out.
That's it.
No warm milk for me tonight.

Self realization is the most painful experience most men face.

I realized that I pissed away most of my life seeking sensual gratification thru all sorts of vices; Predominately alcohol. All the while telling myself the lie that I was on a spiritual quest and believing my own BS.

At 50 finding myself on my Knees asking the question...."Why"?

Reminds me of the old John Lee Hooker song..."Serves Me Right to Suffer, Serves Me right to be Alone"

You have to relearn to dream. When you are a child your mind is filled with wonder, and curiosity, your understanding is simple yet wonderful. A dream is something you create in your mind, it could be discovering something that you always wanted to discover, or becoming something you always wanted to become, or impacting things in a way that bring you and others great joy.

Repeated thoughts become your words. Repeated sayings become your actions. Repeated actions become a reflection of who you are. When you reach the point where you are reflecting your dreams from within, it becomes empowering.

With this drive you strive to do what some would see as impossible, or improbable. Happiness doesn't come from living comfortably, you have to push yourself. With sacrifice, work, and never giving up, you start to make your dreams a reality. The process of moving towards where you want to go can be great, but that moment you reach the point you wish to achieve. That is simply pure awesomeness.

reply to post by Dark Ghost


Unfortunately, I think your description whilst it may be something that many can identify with of a certain age or generation may not be as widely reflective today .....for many many children today they feel that it as already gone wrong and they do not even have the luxury of a relatively stress free childhood.

Whilst it may be one of society's last taboos, childhood mental illness especially chronic anxiety and depression is on the increase in epic proportions!
I think increasingly that people from many section's of society feel that it as "gone wrong" somewhere.....and that also include's children.

reply to post by Dark Ghost


Good description of a weakling. Yes humans are easily disturbed, fragile individuals that cant stand any inconveniences without losing it. Yes the world would be better if pain and suffering and even death didnt exist, only happiness.

But then it would be hell. Life is that way i mean there is a beginning and there is an end its a balanced cycle. Pain is crual but crucial as it gives you an idea of how important your body is and how easily broken it can be. It forces you to weigh your actions. Bad experiences exist for a reason it is to make you learn from your mistakes and advances, evolves. Those that cannot get it and just want a life of total confort and control without any hindrance are condemned to die sad and miserable and fast.

But most humans think they are too evolved and great to have to "bear" these "side-effects" if life. How many are like that? Id say a big good portion of the western population. A little else in less developped countries as they still have a positive outlook of life and arent as stressed and miserables as the westerners.

I would consider the world in its globality If i had to say when it all started to go wrong. Not just the human's illusory world and illusory idea of reality. And its quite easy to conclude when it went all wrong. Why its easy really. When you can see the big picture. All went down to hell when adam and eve put their feet on earth. Even if you dont believe in that myth you get my meaning.

A quick word on happiness. It is a crutch. A fairy tail ( ) created for the weak to make them think its the only goal anyone sane can have. Actually "happiness" is a state that is constantly there but most refute it because they focus and their failures and pathetic lives. When humans dont have all of what they want they focus on whats missing instead of enjoying what they have thus they are unhappy. Happiness is just being content whatever happen in your life good or bad. But then if most accepted this they wouldnt have any excuse for ternishing and destroying everything to seek happiness.

Didnt get it yet? Human existence is one big hypocrisy and there is not use denying it as it is the reality.

reply to post by Dark Ghost


Uh, no. Not in my case. I went backward. I do not remember looking forward to the next day when I was a kid, or any of this "carefree" nonsense one always hears about childhood. I try to remind myself that our experiences can vary radically, but I still find it hard to swallow that this state was real for anyone, and that they didn't create memories of this happy type after the fact, based upon myths of how childhood should be? I mean are these perhaps false memories?

For me, life was scary at times, painful at others... most of the time it just took too much concentration in the moment to consider what one was feeling- Relief from suffering was a pressing concern.for myself but also of those near me. Figuring out how that could be insured for the next five minutes took most of the day, but it wavered between moments of thinking there just was no hope anyway, so just accepting the suffering and being awareness was all that was left.

But that got better in time. I started to learn was joy was, play, fun, love, friendship, sensual pleasures... all those "luxuries" began to open to my experience slowly. I couldn't accept them at first, having devalued them all my life as superficial egotistical fluff- it took many years to change my values and start enjoying living in the physical world.

I have never been as happy as I am now. Life is full of adventures and possibilities and things to discover and experience! I can only guess our paths don't always take the same directions.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
So where did it all go wrong?

Ignorance is bliss (as they say). You've lost your ignorance. That's okay, though.

Like a fetus during its 3rd trimester of gestation, you're getting cramped by this corporeal placenta, and increasingly ready to be born into the world of fully developed human beings. It'll come, but until then you're not alone in your increasing discomfort. All maturing 2nd stage fetuses share that same discomfort. It's an indication that full viability is closing in on you and the best days of your life are just over the horizon.

Originally posted by Dark GhostSo where did it all go wrong?

It doesn't go wrong all at once, it's a lot of little things which make one turn around slowly from nature's default psyche to what humans think it should be.

Like the first time someone told me he got tired of my company. I never knew producing or experiencing thoughts could be tiresome, only later in life did I understand it was one of many subtle manipulations to make me do something else. It's the whole mode of thinking which at some point gets the better of one which is that moment when it goes all wrong. After one's character has been manipulated enough is when they start thinking to either beat them or join them.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
When you were young, you couldn't stand bedtime. As you lay in bed, all you could think about was the day ahead and what exciting activities you would participate in. Your heart began pumping at the thought of taking part in one of your many hobbies, eating your favourite meal the next day, or spending time with your friends. You didn't worry so much about personal responsibilities or financial obligations. You didn't have a constant foreboding feeling about your future and whether things would work out. In essence, you were happy and relatively stress free.

Then things changed. You began to notice that there was pain and suffering in the world, some of which you would eventually experience yourself. You became more pessimistic and cynical as the years passed. The expectations formed in youth were not met by your adult self and your mind began to comprehend that happy endings were not guaranteed. You were disappointed and angry; the world was not a fair place where everyone succeeded, as you had been previously informed.

But the rage subsided. You started to lack the energy you once had. You lost the motivation to try new things and recapture that sense of wonder you once possessed. Everything became an effort and no achievement seemed rewarding. You withdrew from activities that used to bring you joy and fulfilment, only to replace them with mind-numbing behaviour that makes you question your self-worth frequently.

Now you look forward to bedtime. The perfect escape from reality. Except for the occasional nightmare and instance of sleep paralysis, you take comfort in the quiet, gentle peace of sleep. You are only a shadow of your former self.

So where did it all go wrong?

This can be attributed to two things.

First, your perception of time. Thanks to advanced in neuroscience, it has been proposed that the subjective experience of time changes with age due to changes in the individual's biological makeup. As your brain develops from childhood to adulthood, your perception of time changes as well.

Second, that when you are a child, you aren't normally faced with how harsh reality is. That doesn't set in until later in life. When you take on more and more responsibility. When you move away from home. Have to work for a living. Have to pay the bills and work hard for the things you want. Have to face loss on a scale you didn't have to face as a child.

That is life. There is no right or wrong. At the end of the day, life is what you make of it. It can be as good or bad as you want it to be.