Tag: Life

Common Courtesy and Respect….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

So, part of the community here is to share life experiences that may occur from day to day.   This is one of them…

I went to the local comic book store to pick up a comic book. I’ll be honest I once read and collected dozens of titles and acquired thousands of books over the past 30+ years.  Yet, now it’s down to just one title.  Yep!  Just one title. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero by Larry Hama. Why? I have every issue since #1 and its my most beloved series from childhood. Honestly, today’s comics just don’t interest me.  Not to say that I’m not still very interested in characters like Batman, Superman and Spider-man.  I’m just tired of the crappy writing by writers pushing a narrative of social justice than tell a good story.  That’s probably no news to you fine folks. 

So, as I was leaving the comic shop, my wife and I notice there’s a UPS truck blocking our car.   This UPS truck just parked behind 3 cars that were parked in front of the store.  I made a sly comment that “I guess we aren’t going anyway right now.”  We got in the car, turned on the air conditioning and sipped our Starbucks.  We waited. And we waited.  At this point 10-15 minutes has passed. So I step out and approach the UPS truck.  I say, “excuse me” and a woman pops out from the back and says, “yeah.”   I politely ask if she could “move her truck as she’s blocking us in and we’d (my wife and I) like to leave and go.”  This very large woman struggling with some large boxes replies, “Not right now I have all these boxes.”   I was just left stunned. She had no consideration for me or my time.  I quickly replied, “we’d like to leave, just move the truck please..”  She proceeded to ignore me and continue to load the boxes on a dolly.  I admit this lit my Irish temper and I quickly responded, “Thanks for your rudeness and being a b!#ch about it.”   Then, I said, I hope “you like complaints made on your behalf to UPS.”   I sat in the car, called UPS and left a complaint and detail of the situation while she took her time finishing making her delivery to the very same comic shop I just bought my comic.   (Not sure what the shop ordered to literally get about 27 large boxes?).   Then, get this … here’s the capper!  She gets in the truck and pulls in to the larger parking lot to the west of the storefront and just parks.   I was quick to pull up to her and yell, “you might get called in the boss’ office later.  You might want to find another job!”  There may have been some hand jesters and language. Again I blame my Irish temper.  She just looked at me like she did nothing wrong!

Now, let me defend myself here.  If the lady, had replied with, “Sure, give me a second. And actually stopped loading the boxes and moved the truck (literally pulling it forward or backward 10 feet), I would have said “thank you” and smiled while waving “have a good day!”   So, this individual has no awareness of common courtesy and respect for others.  This is something I see much more lately in the city.  Especially from professional services and businesses.  People tell me that doesn’t happen in small towns but perhaps I’m cynical and don’t believe it.  I feel people just want to be jerks and selfish.   Is there hope for society?  Is it time to just move to nowhere?   

Please reflect.  Realize there’s other people in the world and you’re not the only one occupying space and breathing the air.  We can all be nice to one another . Be kind and humble.   Thats my with for today.  🙂 

Take Care!

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Things change….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

There’s an episode of Star Trek The Next Generation, in the 7th season, where the Enterprise finds Worf’s human step-brother living among a primitive race – a primitive race that is facing the death and destruction of their planet. In a violation of the Prime Directive, Worf’s brother Nikolai, beams the people of Boraal II, to the holodeck. Captain Picard and crew quickly discover the plot as the simulation causes massive drain on the ship’s power. Worf is sent in to assist in a plan of deceiving the people on a great journey (they will do inside the holodeck) to a new home (ala planet) where they can live out the rest of their lives.

The debate of the Prime Directive and the actions of the characters can drive a million debates. Yet, I will focus on a smaller (and a much more personal) circumstance of the actions of Nikolai. During the long journey the people of Boraal II take, winding and climbing through tunnels and simulated terrain, the village chronicler Vorin, accidentally finds himself outside the holodeck. He is shocked to see the world of a the Enterprise’s hallways and crew. Doctor Crusher and Counselor Troi try to help him through his frightful discovery. Starships, planets, aliens and magical technology are not looked upon as optimistic ideologies of the future for him. He struggles with the anxiety of a changing world; his whole purpose was to record the history of his village. Vorin can’t accept the knowledge he has been granted. He feels trapped. Coming face-to-face with gods, and the destiny that all civilizations evolve will influence his appreciation of the old ways, the ways of his people. He can’t bare the weight of it all. Vorin commits suicide.

When I was younger, I dreamed of discovering new technology of a futuristic race. I wanted to be The Last Starfighter. I wanted to be drawn up into the struggle of Battlestar Galactica. I wanted to have a super car like K.I.T.T. Star Trek brought optimism to my life. Everytime a new thing was invented: VCRs, Apple II computers, Space Shuttles, I couldn’t wait for the next better thing. Heck, I marveled at my first iPod and iPhone as a young adult. Now, I feel like we’re moving too fast. I’m not so excited for the future anymore. I feel like I haven’t had time to enjoy the things of today. Because tomorrow will mean I have to upgrade or be left behind.

I once scorned Vorin for how he dealt with the knowledge he was gifted. I was optimistic that the future would solve problems. The future would be a better place. This man rather die than return home to an uncertain future, a frightening awareness beyond his comprehension.

Today, I find sympathy with Vorin. I understand his plight. There are days I struggle with my own awareness of an uncertain future. Sometimes I don’t want to move forward. I spend my days wanting to move backwards – sentimentally looking back on my childhood, early adulthood. A desire to find security and peace. What is wrong with me? Why has my attitude changed in the latter half of my life? Am I the only one who feels this way? Am I alone? The thing that scares me the most is that Vorin’s solution isn’t so ridiculous anymore….

I guess all things change….whether I want (or like) it or not.

CW

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I failed….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

On January first, I wanted to write on this blog every day for an entire year. As anyone paying attention (not sure there’s many) but that’s not happened.

Several factors have influenced this: internal conflicts of do I share opinions or touch on uncomfortable subjects, or simply share memories and reminisce about things I love; battling writers block on a couple projects that have diminished my desire to write; and, working through my fixation of my obsessive need for refinement (an oxymoronic statement I’m sure) and my never ending worry with having order in my process of work.

If the last reason doesn’t make sense, it’s probably because I don’t know how to make sense of my mind sometimes. There’s definitely something not right when I worry about every word. I immediately want to take it back. I should have said that differently or the anxiety of judgment due in part to the manner in which I talk or think.

So I failed but I still want to move forward. Confronting weakness or mistakes is the first step, right? Then again maybe artists don’t fire on all thrusters and I need to accept that. I’ll work on it. But realistically, I just want to tell stories….

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Time is limited….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

So, more and more nowadays, I know my time on this planet is limited. I’m not getting younger….only older!

Optimistically, I most likely have at least another 20-30 years of life in me. Yet, family health history and current health issues could shorten that. Now, I’m not trying to cause a panic and say I’m looking at Death’s door. I feel great and have plans for many many years to come. I got some things to do before then.

Yet, hearing reports of a celebrity dying at only 52 opens up those concerns. Especially, when I know the celebrity isn’t much older than me and I remember growing up with the actor. This was the actor Luke Perry.

I was in high school as 90210 premiered. I graduated a year later but continued to watch it in early days of college. I will say I was fixated on the story and the young characters. As a young man, I grew my sideburns. I just happened to get a eyebrow scar in 1989 from a hunting accident. And, my one (or few claims of fame) is I did have a few girls think I looked like Jason Priestly and a 90210 guy! Heck, if I’m not sporting a beard, I still keep the Luke Perry sideburns.

The show influenced me so much that I immediately cast the actors into my own stories. I saw these guys and gals as part of my early visions of favorite IPs and my own creations. Nerd Alert: I cast Luke Perry to play Maximillian Sterling in a big live action screenplay I wrote in 1992 for the ROBOTECH franchise (disclaimer: it was a fan script as I was only 19 at the time.) My limited casting creativity also cast Jason Priestly as Rick Hunter and Jennie Garth was Lisa Hayes. When I look back on that, it just sounds ridiculous! (sidebar: I cast Brett Michaels to play Lancer aka Yellow Dancer in a Robotech Next Generation script I was writing back then too).

So, hearing about Luke’s death kinda hits home. I never met him. But I felt I knew him in some weird way. I’ll be sad for a while. I wish his family well. And remember: Time is limited…. take every day to enjoy it!!

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Jumping off Cliffs….

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Let me get a bit personal. I don’t do it for your sympathy or compassion. Just something that I’ve thought a lot about the last few years — maybe a decade.

There was an old episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that always perplexed me. The episode I’m referring to is: Homeward. It’s a season seven episode where Worf and his adopted brother lead a band of people from a primitive civilization on a simulated journey in the holodeck so they can transplant them on a new planet without them knowing. Yeah, has violation of the Prime Directive all over it. Yet, it’s a very interesting episode for several reasons.

One, it intrigues me how a story universe can introduce a brother to a character after nearly 7 years. And it techncially doesn’t hurt the cannon simple because the excuse could be, “well, no one ever asked if I had a brother.” Or something like that. Yet, in this situation we accept it. And on top of it, Worf and his brother, Nikolai, did not have a good relationship. Possibly why Worf never mentioned him before (except for one line of dialog in season one to another Klingon). The crew of the Enterprise seemed to be surprised by the revolution of Worf’s step-brother. But I digress.

Second, the story proposes a theme of societal change. The culture that Worf and his brother are trying to save have had a very ritual way of life for many many generations. Now they must learn to adapt and go to a new place, find new food, find new shelter and adapt as a civilization. We experience this yet in micro-changes. This alien race is facing it as a macro-change. This is even more evident when one of the members of the primiatve culture sees and discovers the world around him isn’t what he thought it was. He accidentally escapes the Holodeck to discover he’s actually flying in a starship through the vast galaxy. He doesn’t understand how its possible. Is the crew of the Enterprise gods? Or something else? Picard and the crew explain that they just have more advanced science and technology and they are no different than him.

And lastly, because it tackles the question of how does one accept the life altering information. How do you continue living when you know something that is so different than what you were accustomed to? Can you live with that information? Or do you not do so? [spoilers] Because in the episode the character decides to commit suicide than continue living with the experience. He was the tribe’s historian, scribe and teacher. He was proud of thier laws, their morals, their culture, their way of life. Now, someone has told him there’s so much more! And perhaps what he cherished is too different than what it seems everyone now accepts or wants.

See, when I was a kid/teen watching that episode, I was like that was a stupid decision. Why would you kill yourself? Why not just adapt? Embrace the optimistic idea that in the future your culture will possibly develop starships too and fly around the galaxy. Nothing is stopping you for living and going about your life. But that’s not how he saw it. I’ve always said that dying isn’t a solution to change. No matter what, one can work through it — and adapt. Nothing could be so bad, to find yourself saying you had no way out. (Did Jack say that in Titanic?). Until, recently.

Perhaps growing older has made me cynical, sarcastic and a bore. I’ve had the realization that I now understand my parents and grandparents before me. When I was growing up, they were grouchy all the time. They disliked technology. They hated prices going up. They disliked change. And they seemed annoyed at the younger generation. As that younger generation, I criticized them for being closed minded. Moving forward was a good thing. Not a bad one. Yet, now I feel I’m the closed minded one. All the things my parents taught me — to make me a good person — seem irrelevant. Say no to drugs! (Well, society says “these” are okay now), Don’t be promiscuous! It leads to disease and misfortune. (Well, society says no go for it! use this stimulant to go longer and just use condoms) Majority rules. (Well, society says not really. We need to insure the minority is the favored one, all others can suck it!) Remember your parents saying, “if everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you do it too?! I think you see where I’m going.

So I feel out of place sometimes. A lot sometimes. I’ve become the one to fear change. I think about the past all the time. Those were better times. Yet, I do like my iPhone. I think I discovered anxiety. But I have a loving family, great friends and I can always value who I am. Society doesn’t rule me (I can resist the peer pressure!) The one thing I truly thank my parents for: teaching me tolerance….

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…push us further!

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Honesty.

Be honest to yourself.

Be honest to those around you.

It’s easier to show a side of honesty than trying to deceive or misdirect.

I’ve always believed I’d rather tell the truth than be shamed by being dishonest. Perhaps I had a great teacher – my mother.

It’s a virtue I hold higher than most. Yet I still have a filter and don’t always share my true feelings. I wish I did not do that. Maybe it would be liberating. Yet I try to be non confrontational and wish to be liked by all.

As I grow older, I’ve discovered cynicism and pessimism. I wish I hadn’t.

But I think if we were more honest with each other maybe we wouldn’t get so easily offended by insignificant things. Because the honesty would developed a tougher skin. It can make us stronger and push us further.

Just be honest…

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That and that and that!

Posted on by CV Whitfield

Going back isn’t an option. It took me years to stop worrying about what I didn’t accomplish. The worrying had turned to regret. I regretted not going down certain roads — turning right when maybe I should have turned left. I knew that I shouldn’t regret where I was. I was on this path because that is where my destiny took me. The regret may have caused anxiety of missed opportunities; the path dreamed of a better life.

Things may have not gone to plan but I’m still moving forward. I’ve learned so much. I’m stuck my foot in my mouth several times. There was a time where I would have told someone, I will always collect Star Wars toys. Well, I’ve not collected a Star Wars toy in a decade. (Golly! Has it been over ten years since the end of the Prequal Trilogy?) Then there was a time that I would have told someone, that I will forever keep my collectibles. I’ve sold most of them and I’m continuing you sell and purge the things I don’t need. (I’m really moving toward a life of simple and minimalism.)

As I child, I had a hand in so many geek things: playing D&D, collecting Star Wars and Star Trek, building plastic model kits of naval ships and World War II airplanes, and reading / hoarding comic books. Some of these hobbies have come and gone. As I head into the second half of my life, I’ve found that some of those hobbies have returned. At first, I criticized myself for not being more true to those past hobbies. Figuring that if I had been building model kits for the past 20 years, I’d be much better at it. Then, I realized that actually I have something I would have lost—the ability to enjoy the discovery. So, I’ve returned to building plastic model kits. Instead of stating, “I’ve built that and that and that. what’s left to do?” I can say, “I can’t wait to build that and that and that!”

Life takes us where we are meant to be. We don’t get a rewind button. Nor should we have one. Know that your core will always be true but the small details can and will change over time. Embrace it!

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