meredithian / Texts
Order by: date ↑ - rating ↑i have to admit that sometimes of late, when i'm having a crap day, i come look at this praxis and think "someone cared about me enough to make a lego mosaic of me... in my underwear... with my own legos...." and it makes me smile.
I think this is an interesting and worthy comment. (re: The Sub 24-Hour BARTPA Teambuilding Overnight)
Since I, too, was directed to this from reading the kite flying praxis, and since the above is very interesting, I'll comment. (Also, I'm bored at work today. Meh.)
My initial reaction to reading The Animus' inner monologue bit above was merely "Wow... Ok." and then I just continued on reading the praxis. J.M. Bot's comment at the bottom made me pause to consider it a little more before voting, though, which I've ultimately done because I think regardless of what was or was not written in the praxis, ZeroGee and The Animus - two near strangers from SFØ - went on a journey together and fulfilled a task. They had an experience which I found to be interesting to read about, even if one bit of it was, yes, I suppose, startling (not sure that's the right word, but it fits for now) for me to read. I would hope that even though the articulation or self-examination that might have provided context for his comment is perhaps lacking in the praxis, The Animus learned something about people, and travel, and experiencing otherness in the world from this task and their trip. I say this not because I necessarily feel The Animus *needs* to learn anything... but just because I interpret that as being what the task was about, at least in part.
I think being stuck with someone you don't really know for an overnight roadtrip is exactly the kind of thing that leads you to bring someone from the outgroup of 'not really human' to the ingroup of 'not so different than me.' (Actually, hopefully it doesn't always take something that intense.) It's harder to extend that to people in line at the bank, or irritating strangers around you. I think it takes effort sometimes. But I think tasks that force you into interactions with strangers beyond the usual help foster this natural extension. And they can be, occasionally, fascinating. It seems to me like ZeroGee and The Animus have touched on these things a bit, in their completion of the Sub-24 Hour BartPA Team Building Overnight Adventure.
However, I also think that, responding to someone's legitimate comments or concerns in your praxis by dismissing their thoughts as flame bait, or possibly just fodder from some grudge, is a bit obnoxious. And I definitely think that not beating up strangers is less about turning on a "politically correct filter" and more about not being sociopathic, or lacking some basic empathy for human beings, even if they are annoying and loud and occasionally bump into you with shopping bags.
I don't know. I've been irrationally very angry at strangers, too. I usually don't trot those moments out in public forums, or if I do it's usually for the purpose of really trying to tear those impulses apart to really understand them. I also think SFØ tasks can be great opportunities to examine these parts of ourselves. Not to say that tasks have to be *for* anything other than fun... just that, I know I would have enjoyed a little more self-reflection along with the comment that sparked this discussion. Without it, it does read as a slightly creepy and out of nowhere addition to an otherwise smooth praxis. I admit though that when I read it, I sort of filled in that blank where the self-reflection should have been myself, because I'm usually willing to give the benefit of the doubt to others. I assumed the mere mention of the random violent thoughts was some nascent attempt at said self-reflection. I mean, otherwise, why mention them at all?
This probably isn't worth this much discussion... but as I said, I'm bored at work and thought the above comment was something really interesting, and more importantly an appropriate response to the concerns J.M. Bot brought up.
So thanks, Waldo, for your thoughts. I'm going now to check out the link to the man you mentioned in your comment.
i was sort of waiting for my first big wound from actual derby play to do this task... assuming i make the league that is. keep your fingers crossed for me! but, alas, in all my skating practice for tryouts i haven't actually harmed myself at all!
maybe that's a good sign, though.
i'm sure j. mbot. and ms. dejavoo have had and will continue to have numerous opportunities for this task through derby. i'm surprised they haven't done this task yet. but, if ever i get a real good bruise from smacking into the wall, or even some trackburn, i hope it's not a little redundant to document it for this!
i understand it was kind of a thing, back in the impossible exchange, to complete the masquerade task by creating a new player photo resembling ink tea.
so sparrows, this is for you:
i'm recreating the praxes of the many who masqueraded as inky tea for this task... but with wolves.
and it's my new player photo.
jesus you two are a fantastic team. the best team ever, some might say. so prolific!
... is now the time to reveal that i've done this? that i can (sort of) do this?
if this happens, i am in.
*is* this a player killing zone? my eyes! they burn! the goggles do nothing!
stamp thieving ftw.
i am also planning on playing hooky to task sometime soon. not from school and not just for the sake of the playing hooky task, but because lately i can't find any time to do any proper tasking! and SFØ is way more fun than working.
which i'm technically supposed to be doing right now.
but i wanted to say, i think your idea of starting a senior praxis tradition is a fine one. i'm only now starting to realize just how many players in this game might be able to accomplish this.
i definitely think you should take a second rephotograph of you as your mother, to compliment this one.