Can we talk? (part comedic relief, part seriousness, at least in the title)

Gorog

Gorog

Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Messages
515
So, Christmas came, and Christmas went, I went into it with a remarkably dirty, but wholly functional iPhone 4S, and came out with the same, plus a stone hippotamus, a gorgeous calendar, and a Dremel 4000 plus a drill press attachment, plus a flex shaft attachment, and other related goodies. Now, I fully believe I am not related to the Grinch by blood, nor Ebenezer Scrooge by any amount of greats and grands, but every single a holiday or birthday comes around and spoils me with things I want, I'm stoked at the moment of unwrapping, but it fades quickly, to be replaced by great sorrow.
What on Earth makes me more deserving than the BILLIONS of children and adults starving, thirsting, dying, because they lack the necessities of life, while I receive comparably lavish gifts virtually all the time in comparison to their unbelievable poverty? It makes me want to throw my old Macbook Pro out the window, sell my iPhone and Dremel and all my valuables, and join the starving masses, if only to assuage my guilt before I die with them of hunger....
This is not a call to arms against poverty, my friends, I am not suited to wage war on anyone or anything, that much I know, though if you guys feel so inclined, I will root for you. But what it is, is a question: why do I feel this way? I am twenty now, no longer a teenager, but still, twenty year olds don't usually feel this way, do they? If they do, I will suffer through it, because there is nothing useful I can do for people in need right now, but still...I don't know. I'm a friend in need this holiday season. In need of wisdom, I guess. I hope everyone here and beyond had a great holiday season, and if you did not, I feel for you.
Again, I am not asking anyone to give up their lifestyles for others, that was never my intention, I am a simple man with a simple desire: to feel less like the world rests on my shoulders by dint of helping everyone in the world at the same time, a glaringly impossible task.
Well, peace everyone.
David
 
it's just a phase we all go thru on our way to becoming old curmudgeons.

your nice new dremel and other stuff was likely made, in whole or in part, by a nice unstarving third world person of unknown age, and without the wages he recieves for doing so, would indeed starve.

by our labour we put aside enough to buy stuff we don't really need, in doing so we pass on a bit to support the people who make, sell and distribute those items, thus keeping them from starving. your dremel likely fed a family for a week. feel proud that you and you loved ones labours echo well beyond you and enrich others who would not normally be in your contact. if you have any left over, you can contribute to the many charities that support those who cannot work in the factories making stuff, or work on the farms or other infrastructure, thus passing on even more. hopefully those charities will enable them to indeed open factories or farms, thus earning their own money to buy other stuff, passing it on even more...

you can also buy fine hand made steel items from HI, and support the kami's and their families a bit more directly. :)

eventually with experiences in life, you will come to know nirvana and become an old right wing fart like many of us. 20 is hardly out of the shell, my young eggling.

p.s. - it's also the hormones. enjoy them while you can, they lessen with age, another reason we become jealous of you young whipper-snappers.
 
Last edited:
Cherish what you have more because you realize you're lucky to have it. Your suffering won't alleviate the suffering of others. Also, look into volunteering. There are many charitable organizations doing great work for the needy and they always need people willing to help. It only takes a few hours a month and is very rewarding. Many of them also have good career opportunities for those who are so inclined. You'll sacrifice some income working for them, but if it makes you happy it seems worth doing to me. Also, from a practical standpoint, working at a charitable organization also tends to look very good on a resume.

Edit: Realized that my post comes off as pretty preachy and that's not really how it's intended. Sorry if it struck anyone as condescending.
 
Last edited:
No, no, not preachy at all. Great advice, thanks everyone, I try my best to volunteer just to make it through the day. It tires me immensely, no thanks to my horrible stamina, but it makes me happy to make others happy. :) I knew I could count on you guys. And I hear you Kronckew about supporting HI...while I cannot possibly buy something like a giant, or even a small, khukuri, or any knife for that matter, I would like to support my favorite knife makers somehow. I wonder...how would I go about doing that though? Could they make something like a woodworking tool? I'm guessing that neither Yangdu, nor my mother, would allow me to just give Himalayan Imports charity donations, so that might be option. I am sure they would make a beast of a tool if they got around to trying it, just judging from the massive khukuri's they make.
Giving back just lights me up like a Christmas tree, even if I am dead tired. It's just...a wonderful thing to me.
Oh, and thanks for making me laugh kronckew, I have never once been called an eggling, but it was quite amusing, and humbling, to be called such.
Peace.
David
 
I didn't realize you were having fatigue issues as well. Knowing that I strongly urge you to talk to a doctor about this. Lack of motivation, loss of stamina, and unrelenting fatigue combined with the emotional low you're describing worries me. Frankly speaking, you're describing symptoms of major depressive disorder. It may also be that you have hypothyroidism or vitamin D deficiency which can both mess with your emotional state and energy levels. In all seriousness, go to your doctor and have blood work done.
 
David,

It is your humanity showing. You should be commeded for having such thoughts when most young men of your age are totally engrossed in their own self gratification and trying to find their way in this world. The best we can do is help where we can with the tools we have at hand. Sometimes an expressed caring thought is enough.
 
Oh, I definitely have Major Depressive Disorder, along with an Autism Spectrum Syndrome called Asperger's, my sister the doctor thinks I might even be Borderline something or something like that, I forget what it is called.... But honestly, I believe that, if we were all perfect, there would be nothing to accomplish, nothing to do. Life would be boring, unending, unfulfilling. But with death, with imperfections and flaws, we are interesting, with limited strengths, we are stronger than we believe, but vulnerable enough to always have room for improvement. Now, I'm not sure WHO or WHAT messed up when it came to my birth or creation or what have you, but I am rolling on the fact that, yes, I am socially challenged, prone to overexcitement, and, when not engaged in, or feeling the high of, socializing and being around people other than my family, I am perpetually depressed to obscene levels, but yes, I am also very well rounded, I'm proficient in many sports, I can read, I can write, draw, and think with the best of them, though often I have to think twice to avoid saying something I do not mean to say overreactive-ly :) . But, yeah, I highly appreciate your concern, and I probably will have my blood drawn soon anyway. I am also very sure I am malnourished, because I have vehemently and wimp-ily avoided vegetables, fungi, fruits, nuts and more for most of my life. I've survived, so I can't HUGELY malnourished, but I bet I have a serious problem with it nonetheless. Hey, Insipid Moniker, I don't want to turn the spotlight on you unwelcomely, yet I can't help but notice you speak very intelligently, and have a pretty impressive amount of medical knowledge. Have you ever, or are you currently, working in the medical field? I occasionally ask Howard Wallace if he's a psychologist or something, and I never get much back, which probably means he does not want to share, which is fine, though it frankly bewilders me when people don't say what they mean and imply it instead (no offense Howard, you're still super cool, I just don't really know how to react when people don't speak their mind and leave me to figure something out in a social situation. Hopefully I did not offend you, if I did, forgive me, please.)
Anyway, to repeat, it is, in fact, quite serious that my depression has continued for so long. It does not seem to be the kind that gets worse dramatically in a quick manner, fortunately, but if it does...I have people around for that reason and many more reasons. Okay, peace everyone. Thank you.
David
 
Hey, Karda, thanks for that. Sometimes a bit of encouragement can be a powerful thing. Thanks again, man. And by the way, in the words of Yoda: 'Friend, be mine?' No, seriously, can I be your friend, officially? Like living, breathing playing cards with good advice and senses of humor, and thousands of other facets, I 'collect' friends, and am gleesome at the prospect of having a dude named after a knife to call friend. Let me know either way, thanks again, peace.
David
 
Howard isnt a doctor or psychologist (although i personally think he'd be good at either), just a wise man and full of knowledge...sometimes anecdotal.
He has spent his share of time at Holiday Inns. ;) :D
He's a good guy.
 
Last edited:
Gorog said:
Hey, Karda, thanks for that. Sometimes a bit of encouragement can be a powerful thing. Thanks again, man. And by the way, in the words of Yoda: 'Friend, be mine?' No, seriously, can I be your friend, officially? Like living, breathing playing cards with good advice and senses of humor, and thousands of other facets, I 'collect' friends, and am gleesome at the prospect of having a dude named after a knife to call friend. Let me know either way, thanks again, peace.
David
Click to expand...

Of course David!
Friend request sent.
 
Thank you for the compliment. I'm currently a nurse at a private practice and worked as an EMT before health issues derailed that career path. I'm not a psych nurse, nor am I qualified to diagnose, but it is an area of personal interest as I have several good friends and family members that suffer from either major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or PTSD as well as one very good friend that has borderline personality disorder. I've read a fair amount about psych and how physiology pertains to psychology, but I am by no means an expert.

I'm glad you're planning on having the bloodwork done soon. You set off a few of my personal alarm bells with your symptoms, but it sounds like you are aware of the problem and addressing it, which is huge.
 
Yay! Friend get! Thanks everyone, and peace to all! Goodnight, and I'll talk to you all tomorrow, and forgive me, again Howard, I forget everyone has their own problems.... Well, bye for now.
David
 
Gorog said:
...
What on Earth makes me more deserving than the BILLIONS of children and adults starving, thirsting, dying, because they lack the necessities of life, while I receive comparably lavish gifts virtually all the time in comparison to their unbelievable poverty? It makes me want to throw my old Macbook Pro out the window, sell my iPhone and Dremel and all my valuables, and join the starving masses, if only to assuage my guilt before I die with them of hunger...
Click to expand...

Quite a mystery isn't it? Tibetan Buddhists try to explain it with the ideas of karma and rebirth. The fact is that we all find ourselves in unique positions, and look at others and find that they are in different positions. We may see the positions as worse and pity them, or better and envy them. Often times our perceptions as to who is happy or fulfilled and who is sad or unfulfilled, are just wrong. In such cases our pity or envy is completely misplaced.

So what do we do with this situation? The fact is we have differeing levels of energy available to us. You have a high degree of internet conectivity to communicate with people across the world, and power tools to manipulate materials. Other people have greater or lesser abilities to manipulate these energies. (You started the game with +4 communication and +3 matter transformation.) The real question is what you are going to do with the energies available to you?

Gorog said:
... I occasionally ask Howard Wallace if he's a psychologist or something, and I never get much back, which probably means he does not want to share, which is fine, though it frankly bewilders me when people don't say what they mean and imply it instead (no offense Howard, you're still super cool, I just don't really know how to react when people don't speak their mind and leave me to figure something out in a social situation. Hopefully I did not offend you, if I did, forgive me, please.)
...
Click to expand...

David, you're not the only one that gets frustrated with me. You're in good company.

I'm not a psychologist or a health-care worker, by the way.

No offense, so no apologies needed.


Gorog said:
... I am also very sure I am malnourished, because I have vehemently and wimp-ily avoided vegetables, fungi, fruits, nuts and more for most of my life. I've survived, so I can't HUGELY malnourished, but I bet I have a serious problem with it nonetheless...
Click to expand...

Now that the medical disclaimers are out of the way, here are some thoughts for you on diet.

long chain omega 3 fatty acids. - most easily obtained from fish oil. Cod liver oil has vitamin D as well. Our modern diets are deficient in these.

research our ancestral diets. There are other important ideas to be found on diet. You can start with these websites.

http://robbwolf.com/faq/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com//welcome-to-marks-daily-apple/#axzz1hst7kXph

And here's a great lecture that takes about an hour, on what our pre-agricultural-revolution ancestors ate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dw1MuD9EP4&feature=player_embedded
 
David,

Search for meaning, my friend. Happiness is not something that can be found by searching for it, but rather by pursuing the things that are important to us. I also enjoy receiving gifts, but find giving them so much more rewarding.

Peace and best wishes,

John
 
Thanks, man. I begin my search...and hope to surface a changed man, changed for the better. Peace everyone, I appreciate the camaraderie, such a rare but beautiful thing to experience...much like a unicorn that is peaceably not trying to drill you into a tree with its famous horn of doom. Now that is called going off on a tangent. Oh well. :) Peace everyone, from your friendly neighborhood eggling! (I truly enjoyed being called an eggling, it was hilariously, quirkily, funnily, endearingly cool. So, from now on, until some young man (or woman) younger than I comes along to knock me off my eggcup, I am the eggling. Oh yes, that is right, I am the EGGLING. Kind of like a baby dragon. And I like dragons, they are awesome.)
David
P.S. Thanks Kronckew for suggesting such a fun little phrase to begin with. I hope you don't mind me adopting it :)
 
spent the holidays with pneumonia (not sue how to spell ) any way -- was good to talk with my son and my father and a couple of others - including you David - the feelings you described at the begging of this thread are something i have noticed and talked with several young men i know around your age


the guys who come to me to discuss these kinds of feelings usually are intelligent an think a lot - my answer is usually the same - i understand the way you feel; i think it is great that you look out side yourself at the world around you ; but try not to think to much - keep moving forward; live right; do something good for someone else and try not to get caught -- after awhile you will find your own answers - meanwhile try not to get to down about it all, the sadness can stop you from being helpful

not just saying this to you; these are things i try to remind myself of

Eric
 
Gorog said:
... Oh well. :) Peace everyone, from your friendly neighborhood eggling! (I truly enjoyed being called an eggling, it was hilariously, quirkily, funnily, endearingly cool. So, from now on, until some young man (or woman) younger than I comes along to knock me off my eggcup, I am the eggling. Oh yes, that is right, I am the EGGLING. Kind of like a baby dragon. And I like dragons, they are awesome.)
David
P.S. Thanks Kronckew for suggesting such a fun little phrase to begin with. I hope you don't mind me adopting it :)
Click to expand...


don't mind at all, Eggling.

-and i was thinking of dragons when i 1st thought of it. some people are dragons, some are sheep. the dragons tend to hang out here. the sheeple are too busy eating tofu and being afraid of the dragons that keep them safe.

celtic-dragon-baby-by-bird-of-hermes-on-deviantart-d-v-tattoodonkey.com.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ha! LOLrus, that is truly funny, I must admit! Even though I don't really understand how a bucket could make him a LOLrus. On a more serious note, I'm listening Eric. I believe there is great meaning in what you say. The worlds problem's are not mine to deal with alone, I must share the load to avoid insanity, not to mention, sometimes, to take care of others best, you must take care of yourself first, something I am loathe to acknowledge. It is far easier to worry ceaselessly and do nothing, than to set aside my worries and DO something. But I will do something. Rest assured of that, I will do something. Peace, everyone.
The Eggling
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top