Almost Comfortably Numb

Not sure that the title of this post actually matches my current mood. I'm probably just numb. Today probably has been added to one of the worst days in my life. Normally I get the sense of how bad a day is going to be soon as I wake up; I normally sleep in or fall out of the bed (quite literally), but today started of like any other.

I don't particularly want to revisit my memories of today as I am simply happy enough that it is over. Yet I need to somehow justify my feelings, or lack of. After today's events, the Middle East has finally won and has tipped me over the edge. Who knows if normality will return? Maybe it won't.

Everything and everyone here is crazy, and that is putting it lightly. Sure you do get some wonderful people, but for the most part, life here sucks. I know that tomorrow will be a different story, so I have to live it out till then. As I always say; let's see what happens.

Life after Books

” but there is this unwritten contract between author and reader and I think not ending your book kind of violates that contract.”
                                        John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

I recently read a book by John Green Fault in Our Stars and it was definitely an interesting read. Now I am not going to write a review on this story because I have my opinion and that is mine only. However, it made some interesting points about characters and endings of stories, and it made me question my own thoughts.


When a story is placed upon paper, characters and situations are born. They may not be real in existence, but they are real on the page. They are given a background, a life, a history, upon which they evolve into deeper beings. Simply immortalized in words. They are brought to life through their personalities. We learn their likes, dislikes, their ability to bond with other characters. No being is created from thin air. Even those that maybe only mentioned once or twice, they still play a part. It is this creation that poses a problem. As a reader you form your own opinion of each character, you seem to bond with them, learn to love or hate them. Yet when the problem of the story has been solved and the book comes to a close, you face a problem. Does that story really end there? What happens afterwards? Is the light turned off for good? Are these characters thrown in to a disposal bin of endings?

It was this thought that puzzled me the most. Do we really need to know what happens after that last page has ended, after that last period? If a story ends in a happen ending, is it really necessary to think about them more? The answer is no. They are simply words on a page that have been written for our enjoyment only. They are not biographies of life. They are not real people. It is not realistic to end all stories with a happy ending, the characters living a perfect life with everything resolved and dying peacefully in their sleep. That itself would pose more questions than answers.

 So what if a story ends in the middle, not completing the story. Take Hazel for example, the reader learns everything, if not more, that we need to know as if she was a real being beside us. Yet as the story progresses, so does our attachment to the character. This is our downfall. When the story dramatically ends, with no explanation, we are left with disappointment. What happened next? Did she live happily? Was she cured? The only person who knows is the character herself. Even her creator doesn't know. It is in this ending that we are able to write our own endings. Each one unique as the person next to us. Yes we may still be left with that question , what happened, burning our curiosity bit by bit, but stories life this imitate life perfectly. Just as 'stories end in the middle of a sentence' with no reason, our life can end at any second, without reason and those around will be left asking questions.

It is simply our nature to question everything and not to take it at face value. It is what it is. This is why I think John Green has hit the proverbial nail on the head. I would leave this post in the middle of a sentence, but I do not have the will power to do so.

So I will leave it with this conclusion. Forming your own answers in your mind is more appropriate than reading a solid ending in a story. You can create your own world for these characters, and no one will question it.

Arguments.

ar·gu·ment/ˈärgyəmənt/
Noun:

1. An exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one: "I've had an argument with my father".
    
2. A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

I have just had an argument with my neighbour. Her grandson thinks it hilarious to annoy me with his music. I for one could not care less that he plays music but what I do care is when I can hear it, the constant loud thudding of bass and the repetitive tune blasting through the walls. It isn't hard to consider the other person's feelings and play music at a decent level. Its not like I'm asking him to turn it off.

Oh and apparently I need to show some respect!. Me respect. I have respected the stupid little twat by not going to the police, council or my dad (yeah my dad is quite possibly the scariest man when angry). I have respected the kid when I have to be up for 6 am and he's decided to play music until 1/2 am. I even respected him by not saying anything to his Nana when he demolished the house when having an argument with his girlfriend at 12:43 am and decided to pretty much break down the front door of my house the next day when his Nana found out about his little antics.

Well that is it. I had enough. I sent an email to him explaining I would put in a formal complaint about his noise levels if he wasn't to show me some consideration. And then I stupidly told my dad about what I had done and what his reply was.
Big mistake.

My dad decided to have a go at my lovely neighbour Pat about her grandson. Now normally we can settle such disputes very easily but my dad just had to get involved and act like a big hard man (when in fact he's more of a dick). Poor neighbour won't even speak to my mam or me now. Thanks a lot. A good solid friendship has been spoilt because my dad couldn't leave things be.

In fact, he's still blabbering on about it downstairs right now.