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Sep. 11th, 2008
An Introduction
Sep. 11th, 2008 11:16 amI don't exactly understand why, but my last assignment for my Intro to Lit class was to write an open letter to the class, describing my career as a writer thus far in my life. Below the cut is my letter.
( Dear Class, )
( Dear Class, )
Many people on my flist have been posting remembrances, anniversaries, memories, both good and bad. It must be something in the air. In my Abnormal Psychology class, we spent the morning telling the stories of where we were when we found out about the September 11th attacks.
Seven years ago, I was sleeping. I had worked third shift the night before, as night auditor at a hotel. I'd come home that morning and went right to bed. I dreamed that there was a mighty war and the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were being attacked. While I slept, my roommate's parents called him and merely said, "The Trade Center is being bombed, turn on the news!" My roommate came into my room and said, 'Wake up! The Trade Center is being attacked!" "No," I told him, "that's just in my dream." I rolled back over to go back to sleep. "No, get UP!" my roommate said. I stumbled, still half-asleep out into the living room and turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit.
Four years ago, my LiveJournal was only three days old and I began a three-day fast. I did a magickal purification ritual and consumed nothing more substantial than tea with honey for seventy-two hours. It was difficult, but enlightening. It resulted in this fictional piece, The Long Fast. Oddly, since that purification, that spiritual reboot, LiveJournal has had a profound effect on my life and it hasn't really been the same since. Odd, indeed.
More odd, I've never been one to latch onto dates and anniversaries outside of birthdays. I can never remember if Jacquelyn & my anniversary is on August 20th or 21st. (I think it's the 21st?) I remember my birthday - it's Bastille Day. Ethan's birthday is two days after mine. Jacquelyn's birthday is December 21st, which is easy to remember because it's the end of the Mayan calendar and Terrence McKenna's Timewave Zero novelty theory. For a long time, all my friends had birthdays on the 23rd of their respective months. Otherwise, I don't remember dates. I vaguely remember time periods. I don't even think of years as January to January; my years go from birthday to birthday.
Memory, or the lack thereof is frightening. LiveJournal is a life saver. I've always wanted to keep a journal so I can keep my days from blending into one another, a la Floundering. The ephemeral, shifting, fluid nature of memory intrigues me, but also scares me. How can it be trusted, what things can't I remember? What can I remember that never happened? What in my memories is dream and what is real? In the final analysis, I suppose it doesn't matter. Either way, we react to our experiences, whether "real" or not as if they "really" "happened." Our bodies, our minds, think they happened. Neurochemicals, adrenaline, hormones, are all released whether a dream or not. Think of all the dreams you've forgotten. What if we forget as much of waking reality?
Seven years ago, I was sleeping. I had worked third shift the night before, as night auditor at a hotel. I'd come home that morning and went right to bed. I dreamed that there was a mighty war and the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were being attacked. While I slept, my roommate's parents called him and merely said, "The Trade Center is being bombed, turn on the news!" My roommate came into my room and said, 'Wake up! The Trade Center is being attacked!" "No," I told him, "that's just in my dream." I rolled back over to go back to sleep. "No, get UP!" my roommate said. I stumbled, still half-asleep out into the living room and turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit.
Four years ago, my LiveJournal was only three days old and I began a three-day fast. I did a magickal purification ritual and consumed nothing more substantial than tea with honey for seventy-two hours. It was difficult, but enlightening. It resulted in this fictional piece, The Long Fast. Oddly, since that purification, that spiritual reboot, LiveJournal has had a profound effect on my life and it hasn't really been the same since. Odd, indeed.
More odd, I've never been one to latch onto dates and anniversaries outside of birthdays. I can never remember if Jacquelyn & my anniversary is on August 20th or 21st. (I think it's the 21st?) I remember my birthday - it's Bastille Day. Ethan's birthday is two days after mine. Jacquelyn's birthday is December 21st, which is easy to remember because it's the end of the Mayan calendar and Terrence McKenna's Timewave Zero novelty theory. For a long time, all my friends had birthdays on the 23rd of their respective months. Otherwise, I don't remember dates. I vaguely remember time periods. I don't even think of years as January to January; my years go from birthday to birthday.
Memory, or the lack thereof is frightening. LiveJournal is a life saver. I've always wanted to keep a journal so I can keep my days from blending into one another, a la Floundering. The ephemeral, shifting, fluid nature of memory intrigues me, but also scares me. How can it be trusted, what things can't I remember? What can I remember that never happened? What in my memories is dream and what is real? In the final analysis, I suppose it doesn't matter. Either way, we react to our experiences, whether "real" or not as if they "really" "happened." Our bodies, our minds, think they happened. Neurochemicals, adrenaline, hormones, are all released whether a dream or not. Think of all the dreams you've forgotten. What if we forget as much of waking reality?