Music videos, films, TV shows, songs and books create, for us, another world; an alternate reality that we can use to escape our own realities and pretend that everything we dream of or wish for will come true.
However, sad this may make the human race seem I genuinely believe that without this form of positive escapism individuals would not be able to cope. Melodramatic though it seems, everyday life is demanding, challenging, overwhelming and stressful for the most part and without this release of escapism where we are free to imagine a world in which we can achieve everything we strive for both in ambition and in general life then individuals really wouldn't be able to cope.
Please don't misunderstand, I am not implying that we can't achieve, in actual reality, everything and anything we want out of life. What I am saying, however is that in escapism we can achieve these things without the hassle, embarrassment, hard work and other obstacles that occur within real
life.
This is why I am addicted to anything with a happy, slightly soppy ending and a storyline that runs on the basis that boy meets girl, there is one slightly rocky patch, they realise that they are made for each other, there's a happy ending and roll credits. Predictable and cheesy but they give me hope.
But, really the questions are why has this idea of escapism become such an integral part of our coping mechanisms? Does everyone need a form of escapism or am I generalising to much? And how does such a wide range of 'escapism genres' come about? How does escapism created by the popular genre of horror work? Are we just kidding and distracting ourselves? Are we, by spending so much time in escapism ignoring the fact that we could actually be creating our own film, TV storyline, song or book because actually escapist conclusions do have a place and could exist in the real world?
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Friday, 21 September 2012
Disappointment, decisions and considerations
So as many of you will know there has been many tales of disappointment regarding the results of many of the AS exams. I know that we got our results quite a while back but I needed time to digest and consider before writing this post.
I am quite angry with the outcome of the results as I imagine quite a lot of us are and because of this there is a high probability that this will become more of a rant than an observation of society. Sorry for that.
It seems to me to be grossly unfair that the majority of us put our hearts, souls and a hell of a lot of effort into revising for the exams just to open that horribly terrifying brown envelope and be faced with, in my case, the potential of 4 retakes.
I feel as though a mixture of the exam boards and the school have, for want of a better phrase, 'screwed us over' and we are having to pick up the pieces of our hopes and piece then together again on retake forms and open AS folders which, incidentally, we were hoping we would never have to open again.
How is this fair?
To top it all off, Michael Gove has decided that modules exams are to easy and that they should be scrapped for "all in one go" exams. When I heard that I laughed so sarcastically I surprised myself. These politicians really do not have a clue do they. Has he failed to notice the results of this year? Is in trying to hugely reduce the number of university applicants - first the £9000 tuition fee and now this -what's next tie us to our schools and only release us if we can recite the entire Latin dictionary backwards?
The conservative party are so laughably removed from the real world. They were fine in the good old days when exams were hard because they could call on their private tutor to help them revise a difficult question. Or they could buy themselves an A by putting the family name of the doorway of the 'Gove Building' and this in turn would ensure that they received the best possible teaching.
The rest of us 'plebs' - the words of Andrew Mitchelle not me - have to work hard for months to get to the next step on our educational career to then receive bad grades and have the education secretary tell us that exams are to easy.
As I said at the beginning of this post I am sorry that this really has turned out to be nothing more than an angry and frustrated rant. However I am sure that there are other people out there who feel just the same as I and to be perfectly honest I feel that it had to be said.
I am quite angry with the outcome of the results as I imagine quite a lot of us are and because of this there is a high probability that this will become more of a rant than an observation of society. Sorry for that.
It seems to me to be grossly unfair that the majority of us put our hearts, souls and a hell of a lot of effort into revising for the exams just to open that horribly terrifying brown envelope and be faced with, in my case, the potential of 4 retakes.
I feel as though a mixture of the exam boards and the school have, for want of a better phrase, 'screwed us over' and we are having to pick up the pieces of our hopes and piece then together again on retake forms and open AS folders which, incidentally, we were hoping we would never have to open again.
How is this fair?
To top it all off, Michael Gove has decided that modules exams are to easy and that they should be scrapped for "all in one go" exams. When I heard that I laughed so sarcastically I surprised myself. These politicians really do not have a clue do they. Has he failed to notice the results of this year? Is in trying to hugely reduce the number of university applicants - first the £9000 tuition fee and now this -what's next tie us to our schools and only release us if we can recite the entire Latin dictionary backwards?
The conservative party are so laughably removed from the real world. They were fine in the good old days when exams were hard because they could call on their private tutor to help them revise a difficult question. Or they could buy themselves an A by putting the family name of the doorway of the 'Gove Building' and this in turn would ensure that they received the best possible teaching.
The rest of us 'plebs' - the words of Andrew Mitchelle not me - have to work hard for months to get to the next step on our educational career to then receive bad grades and have the education secretary tell us that exams are to easy.
As I said at the beginning of this post I am sorry that this really has turned out to be nothing more than an angry and frustrated rant. However I am sure that there are other people out there who feel just the same as I and to be perfectly honest I feel that it had to be said.
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Is it really that mad?
So, yesterday I was watching the Channel 4 program; Ruby Wax's Mad Confessions. Sadly I only got to watch the first part but it made quite an impression on me in that first half and hour.
The first thing that struck me is that we are living in a society that openly accepts (almost) all religions, homosexuality and, to some point, disability and works with them and yet mental illness is still "a big taboo". How can this be? Why is Mental Illness looked upon with such a stigma that very highly successful business men and women feel the need to hide it from their colleagues and their employees? Very rarely does it impinge on their daily working life, so why are they so scared that they may loose their jobs, and, what right does anyone have to make them feel like that in the first place?
In my opinion, and coming from the view point of some one with a disability that means I have to use a wheelchair for most of the time mental illness is just another disability. This may sound harsh and I really don't mean it to. If someone with a disability wants a job then the employer cannot turn them down purely on the fact that they have some kind of disability. They can turn them down on the basis that they are not suitable for the job and if I went for a job that involved climbing scaffolding then yes, I would expect to be turned down because it is obviously beyond my physical capability. Also I would, if I knew that the job was beyond me because of the disability, probably feel rather stupid for going for it in the first place.
What I am trying to say, in a rather convoluted manner, is that even if someone does suffer from a mental illness be it Depression, OCD or one of the many others they should not live in fear of being discriminated against for being open about it.
However, if the illness/disability does or will impinge drastically on their ability to work and their working performance then you can see why they might find it harder to get a job. But, it is not in the rights of the employer to decide this simply on face value.
I am a great believer in Human Potential; anyone who is given the correct tools and the opportunity to shine will shine. If society allows the taboo of mental illness to continue and doesn't embrace and become open about it then those people who have a mental illness may never be able to show society and the people around them what they are able to achieve, do and bring and this would be very, very wrong of us!
The first thing that struck me is that we are living in a society that openly accepts (almost) all religions, homosexuality and, to some point, disability and works with them and yet mental illness is still "a big taboo". How can this be? Why is Mental Illness looked upon with such a stigma that very highly successful business men and women feel the need to hide it from their colleagues and their employees? Very rarely does it impinge on their daily working life, so why are they so scared that they may loose their jobs, and, what right does anyone have to make them feel like that in the first place?
In my opinion, and coming from the view point of some one with a disability that means I have to use a wheelchair for most of the time mental illness is just another disability. This may sound harsh and I really don't mean it to. If someone with a disability wants a job then the employer cannot turn them down purely on the fact that they have some kind of disability. They can turn them down on the basis that they are not suitable for the job and if I went for a job that involved climbing scaffolding then yes, I would expect to be turned down because it is obviously beyond my physical capability. Also I would, if I knew that the job was beyond me because of the disability, probably feel rather stupid for going for it in the first place.
What I am trying to say, in a rather convoluted manner, is that even if someone does suffer from a mental illness be it Depression, OCD or one of the many others they should not live in fear of being discriminated against for being open about it.
However, if the illness/disability does or will impinge drastically on their ability to work and their working performance then you can see why they might find it harder to get a job. But, it is not in the rights of the employer to decide this simply on face value.
I am a great believer in Human Potential; anyone who is given the correct tools and the opportunity to shine will shine. If society allows the taboo of mental illness to continue and doesn't embrace and become open about it then those people who have a mental illness may never be able to show society and the people around them what they are able to achieve, do and bring and this would be very, very wrong of us!
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
The youth of today really aren't that bad....
So, despite the continuing negative media coverage that the youth of today seem to unrelentlessly receive there are examples of people who contradict this negative image.
I am aware that there are many examples of good deeds that performed by young adults and that they do sometimes be covered by the media. However, this example struck me and stuck with me.
On the way back from Colchester university on Sunday we, unfortunately, had to pull over onto the hard shoulder of the M25 and wait for mums car to cool down (this is as technical as I can get.) Also on the hard shoulder was an elderly couple who's car had broken down on the middle lane. However, it was a very hot day and they were obviously hot, slight distressed and a bit fed up with the whole situation.
Just as we pulled onto the hard shoulder a car pulled up beside the other car whist still on the travelling lane - there was a lot of traffic all travelling at about 5 miles an hour - and handed the elderly couple two unopened bottles of water.
The couple were obviously very grateful and offered to pay them back for it, the boys refused payment and everyone continued to go about their business.
Sorry, if this post seems a bit pointless and convoluted but I thought it was a charming story that for once shed a positive light.
I am aware that there are many examples of good deeds that performed by young adults and that they do sometimes be covered by the media. However, this example struck me and stuck with me.
On the way back from Colchester university on Sunday we, unfortunately, had to pull over onto the hard shoulder of the M25 and wait for mums car to cool down (this is as technical as I can get.) Also on the hard shoulder was an elderly couple who's car had broken down on the middle lane. However, it was a very hot day and they were obviously hot, slight distressed and a bit fed up with the whole situation.
Just as we pulled onto the hard shoulder a car pulled up beside the other car whist still on the travelling lane - there was a lot of traffic all travelling at about 5 miles an hour - and handed the elderly couple two unopened bottles of water.
The couple were obviously very grateful and offered to pay them back for it, the boys refused payment and everyone continued to go about their business.
Sorry, if this post seems a bit pointless and convoluted but I thought it was a charming story that for once shed a positive light.
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Royal opinions...
So, as you may have noticed there have been celebrations and parties popping up all around the country to mark the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. This has been a huge event for England and . for many other countries, especially those who are part of the Commonwealth. I, although I didn't really take part in the celebrations, like the Royal Family, what they stand for and don't really understand why there is so much resentment towards them.
They provide a sense of unity between countries that otherwise would not be associated with them, i don't mean politically I mean within public opinion. The Royal Family besides providing a huge a profitable tourist attraction for the country provides a central focus of unity and peace all around the world. They help us to remember the traditions that England used to be so proud of and remind us of our heritage.
If they were really as bad as so many people make them out to be then the turn out to the street parties, village celebrations, honouree concerts and so many more really wouldn't have been so high and if nothing else remember that the Royal Family has provided us with more extended weekends and excuses to celebrate.
They provide a sense of unity between countries that otherwise would not be associated with them, i don't mean politically I mean within public opinion. The Royal Family besides providing a huge a profitable tourist attraction for the country provides a central focus of unity and peace all around the world. They help us to remember the traditions that England used to be so proud of and remind us of our heritage.
If they were really as bad as so many people make them out to be then the turn out to the street parties, village celebrations, honouree concerts and so many more really wouldn't have been so high and if nothing else remember that the Royal Family has provided us with more extended weekends and excuses to celebrate.
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Apologies for the neglect
I am just posting a quick post to apologise for the fact that I have badly neglected this blog for far to long. I am very grateful for all 197 of you who have read/visited this blog. Although intentionally I wrote this simply as a way of getting my thoughts into a more organised fashion and with no real intention of 'publishing' it in a sense. However, I am very happy that so many of you have decided to take the time and trouble to visit this site and click on this blog's title, or, if you are a user of social networking, clicked on the relevant link.
Once again, Thank You all so much, continue to visit and more posts will be arriving soon
.... Watch this space ....
Once again, Thank You all so much, continue to visit and more posts will be arriving soon
.... Watch this space ....
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Reasons why and the snowball effect...
So, a couple of days ago I read a book that might have just changed my outlook on life, society and the people around me. This book is called 13 reasons why... and without wanting to give to much it is about a teenage girl who commits suicide and leaves tapes to people on 'the list' explaining why and how they played a contributing factor to her decision. I recommend you read it. Anyway with the fear that this could turn into a review if I don't I want to explain why this has had such a profound affect on me.
For starters it really showed me that every action, decision and word that we say, even if we don't know, will affect the people around us and that change in them will in turn will affect even more people. This is the Butterfly or Snowball affect.
Secondly it really made me realise that life is precious and should be cherished as it can be snuffed out like a candle at any point by any one person or by a group of people.
It also reminded me that life is not just the physical aspects of life but also the emotional. If you don't feel, love and hurt sometimes then you are not truly living and that is a sad state of affairs. Everyone has feelings and even if they don't wear the 'correct' clothes or makeup that doesn't mean that everyone else is superior and has the right to judge. Judging someone before you get to know them, just on the but so was the impact that this book had on me and, be perfectly honest if you had been on 'the list' and looking back knew that you could have done something to stop it, would you have wished that someone had warned you of the damage that you can/ could potentially cause?
For starters it really showed me that every action, decision and word that we say, even if we don't know, will affect the people around us and that change in them will in turn will affect even more people. This is the Butterfly or Snowball affect.
Secondly it really made me realise that life is precious and should be cherished as it can be snuffed out like a candle at any point by any one person or by a group of people.
It also reminded me that life is not just the physical aspects of life but also the emotional. If you don't feel, love and hurt sometimes then you are not truly living and that is a sad state of affairs. Everyone has feelings and even if they don't wear the 'correct' clothes or makeup that doesn't mean that everyone else is superior and has the right to judge. Judging someone before you get to know them, just on the but so was the impact that this book had on me and, be perfectly honest if you had been on 'the list' and looking back knew that you could have done something to stop it, would you have wished that someone had warned you of the damage that you can/ could potentially cause?
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