Author Topic: Please read (Read 1876 times)

Nisorin · « **on:** June 25, 2011, 01:05:56 AM »

So, I saw something that struck a chord in me today, and I've seen similar things several times over this year. Drove past the elementary school, since the road its on is a shortcut to my bank. Saw a few kids outside it sharing a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Bear in mind, these are like, 2nd graders. I asked them what they were doing outside on a rainy day and without their parents around, they said it was normal for them. Asked them what they were reading, they showed me the cover. One saw the small pile of library books I had next to me that had to go back, asked me what it was. So I showed them, the first three books in the Drizzt series and the first Seventh Tower book. They both screwed up their faces, disgusted. "Mommy says it's stupid to make believe. Waste of time, and it doesn't make you any smarter or help you get a job." Really? What happened to letting kids be kids? What happened to fostering that blessed imagination that lets a child look around at the world with wonder? Has our world really sunk that low that even second graders are starting to worry about their job prospects? Am I the only one that finds this worrisome?

K2 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:08:54 AM »

Welcome to America.

UnStellar · « **Reply #2 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:21:48 AM »

Raise your kids to be creative, as I will mine. That's all we can do.

Queen Bright · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:23:19 AM »

Quote from: Nisorin

and the first Seventh Tower book.

Hah! I read that series back in 4th grade. You're way behind in times.

Nisorin · « **Reply #4 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:25:02 AM »

* Nisorin shrugs.

Didn't discover Nix until 8th grade. Been reading and re-reading his stuff since. But this doesn't set anyone else off?

UnStellar · « **Reply #5 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:26:59 AM »

Quote from: Hikaru on June 25, 2011, 01:23:19 AM

Quote from: Nisorin
and the first Seventh Tower book.

Hah! I read that series back in 4th grade. You're way behind in times.

Hikaru...

Queen Bright · « **Reply #6 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:44:43 AM »

Quote from: UnStellar on June 25, 2011, 01:26:59 AM

Quote from: Hikaru on June 25, 2011, 01:23:19 AM
Quote from: Nisorin
and the first Seventh Tower book.

Hah! I read that series back in 4th grade. You're way behind in times.

Hikaru...

Yeah, yeah. So a few brats have really down to earth parents who disallow imagination. In case you failed to notice it's been like that for a while now. I could honestly name a few *cough*Gasers*cough* Even then, just look at our tv for proof of that. Cartoon Network doesn't do cartoons anymore. Disney doesn't cell shade and sticks to CG or worse SITCOMS horrible. The only one with imagination really is Wizards of Waverly.

Oh and all kids stories that were considered examples for children to watch and follow are now 'negative' in parents eyes. Stand up and stay loyal for your friends to death? Negative. Show what you're feeling through drawing anime or cartoons? Negative. All the lessons the collection of Land Before Time movies brought us in growing up? Half of them are now negative thoughts that children shouldn't have. As parents are god and and any moral or lesson that a parent oesn't like shouldn't be followed.

Hell, I bet all the disneys have some form of outdated moral that is now 'negative,' too. I realised just how shallow parents dealing with childrens imaginations are right after I started talking with Gasers godforsaken mother.

UnStellar · « **Reply #7 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:48:49 AM »

I have suddenly been hit with a wave of negativity. Dammit. Imma sulk for a couple of days now.

Queen Bright · « **Reply #8 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:56:33 AM »

Since this follows the 'no imagination and worrying about career thing.' I'll add this in. Gaser's mother said she doesn't like SP and thinks people shouldn't spend time on it because all we talk about is the roleplay and random things. She looked at our site and was disappointed that no one talked about college or career choice or anything outside of the Rp about life.

I informed her that it was an RP site and not general and that people come here to rp and get away from life to fantasy. She called it negative thoughs and saidf Gaser didn't need something like that.

Admiral Regis Hermitage · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2011, 02:08:20 AM »

Wtf? We didn't fucking join to talk about being productive members of society... we came to play, fight, and tell an unimaginable story of a make believe dimensional plane.

I mean... he could have gone to 4chan instead. This place could seriously be alot worse.

Nisorin · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2011, 02:11:25 AM »

That's exactly what I'm talking about Hikaru. I've been seeing it happen more and more as the year goes on. It's sad, we're stifling our kids and limiting their potential later on. Parents who are closed-minded and refuse to see something for what it is, rather than what it seems like. These same closed-minded people are the ones getting in the way of real social progress. Barring gay marriage for reasons that are primarily, if not entirely, religious and thus not applicable in the realm of law, PROTECT IP, this idiotic 'war' on terrorism, as subjective a concept as the concept of good food. This is something that needs to be fixed, and sooner rather than later.

Admiral Regis Hermitage · « **Reply #11 on:** June 25, 2011, 02:12:38 AM »

I'll let the war on terror comment slide. -_-

K2 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 25, 2011, 11:34:58 AM »

The War On Terror was, in part, necessary. But now, we've gotten our objectives completed, we've brought justice to America. It's time to bring our troops home. We're just intervening now and the cost is trillions of dollars in deficit which we the working class will be paying off in taxes for years now.

That aside, what parents don't understand, and what our job as youth is to remind them of, imagination isn't the inception of wishful thinking to the point of depression in one's mind, but the channeling of depression as well as creativity into a positive outlet. IE, it's not causing life problems. It's helping us cope with them. Yes, Gaser, and everyone else needs a way to cope with life.

I'm sure everyone, Gaser's mother and the parents of the kids Tom met included, have some way of coping with stress and life be it painting, drawing, gardening, or simply watching some TV after a long day of work. Our way is creativity, perhaps the most healthy out of all of these. The same parents who taught us to dream big and go after what we want are now tripping over their own words because of a misunderstanding. They firmly believe that there is a line to draw between imagining stories of teleporting around, using magic and fulfilling our dreams.

Do I plan to go to college and get a good paying career? Damn right I do. But more importantly, I'll be doing what I love. I don't plan to be a slave to my job all my life, nor do I plan to have a crappy job that pays next to nothing. I'm going to have a great life. You can count on it.

So, why do I not speak of my plans after high school here? First off, I, like most of the board, get enough of my future in real life. A lot of parents do not understand just how much pressure is being pounded upon their kids about this kind of stuff. It's on our minds. Trust us, we aren't stuck in the present. We're thinking of the future.

In fact, we think of the future so much it's unbearable. Parents need to remember feeling the same way when they were in High School. Yes, there is a future outside of the present, and for many of us it does mean college. It's not like we're ignorant to this. We sort of can't be.

I don't discuss my future plans here on this board because I discuss or at least am thinking about my future plans 90% of the time not spent on this board. I come on this board because it relaxes me, entertains me, and rejuvenates my imagination. That imagination is what I use to think of my college plans, too. That imagination is used for damn more important things than a roleplay, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sit around thinking about my future all day long to the point of madness.

No, this isn't just me. Nisorin has plans to hopefully go to college someday too. Hikaru wants to go to college and become involved with law. Orpheus wants to either be a Plot Developer or work in some field of science. Gaserlake wanted to work on video games (a noble profession, parents do not understand how much work goes into this and how much math and science is involved). We have plans.

Imagination is now and forever more something incredibly important to every generation in every aspect of life, because it makes up our hopes, dreams, and very existence. It is everything that we are. It is a way to express ourselves. It is a way to believe in ourselves. It is a way to make our future, something which parents should encourage.

My parents certainly do encourage my imagination. By doing so do they abandon their hopes that I will choose a good career? No. My parents want me to get a good paying job, but they will support me in whatever I do. For that, I am thankful. They love me as a parent should for who I am.

UnStellar · « **Reply #13 on:** June 25, 2011, 12:21:56 PM »

Kaleb, have I ever told you how much I respect you lately?

Admiral Regis Hermitage · « **Reply #14 on:** June 25, 2011, 12:35:10 PM »

I couldn't have said it better K2. Like he and I were saying before. This site is a coping mechanism and a get away from our normally stressful life. Now if we all stood around here, talk about our futures, and otherwise putting more stress upon ourselves just by trying to think about it, this board would serve NO PURPOSE! I have really failed to see that this site has had a negative effect on any of us... It's probably the thing that keeps Kaleb from mowing through a corn field, Orph from taking over the world, and Hik from just going Psycho. If people can't see the true purpose of this site or think its a waste of time, then they are the ones who need something like this.... they are the ignorant ones... and they could harm their child more than this site ever could.

</End Rant>

DESTRUCTION · « **Reply #15 on:** June 25, 2011, 12:39:42 PM »

Yeah, when I quit SP I did kinda invade Poland..it's all good now.
---
I'm not going to post some gigantic ass rant, because I'm far too lazy for that to work.

Imagination is the key to personal growth, it's not just daydreaming or creating. It is how you see the world, it is your own personal perspective. Without your imagination you'd be cold, hard, and robotic. You'd be a terrible person. :/

Orga the Strange · « **Reply #16 on:** June 25, 2011, 12:54:14 PM »

Psh, please. Poland is so easy to invade I did it naked while riding a kangaroo last Thursday. If you were a real bad ass you would have invaded Australia. Now theres a ~~terrifying nightmare land~~ hard continent to take.*

It's pretty fucked up when people try to stifle imagination. I mean, just look at that bit of comedy gold I just posted. IMAGINATION BITCHES, It's what you need.
Without it there can be no humor and that just makes everything depressing. But that's my little rant, it's not much of one but meh.

*Orph will probably respond to this by saying "I already have, and I did it while naked and riding your mom!"

DESTRUCTION · « **Reply #17 on:** June 25, 2011, 12:55:54 PM »

You know me far to well Orga.

Orga the Strange · « **Reply #18 on:** June 25, 2011, 12:56:49 PM »

Yeah, I'm awesome like that.

Admiral Regis Hermitage · « **Reply #19 on:** June 25, 2011, 01:05:54 PM »

Lol. God.. parents need to lighten up these days

K2 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:11:59 AM »

Thanks UnStellar. And yeah pretty much what everyone else said.

King Jeebus · « **Reply #21 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:22:22 AM »

I fucking love bacon.
Fact is guys, the world is a tough place. End of the day kids do NEED to be taught practical lessons instead of 'in a perfect world' lessons(Sorry Hik but well, it's true.). However, should kids be told imagination is wrong? Fuck no. With no imagination there would have been no science, no medicine and no uhm...Oh yeah, anything. We'd be stuck being the neanderthals we evolved from because hey fuck it, we wouldnt have thought to try any different.

Orga the Strange · « **Reply #22 on:** June 26, 2011, 11:24:41 AM »

Something jeebus forgot to point out specifically: There would be no Nyan cat.

UnStellar · « **Reply #23 on:** June 27, 2011, 11:18:38 AM »

Quote from: Lovecraftguy on June 26, 2011, 11:24:41 AM

Something jeebus forgot to point out specifically: There would be no Nyan cat.

:O Don't speak such heresy! Nyan cat always was, always is, and forever shall be!

Ragnar the Red · « **Reply #24 on:** June 27, 2011, 10:49:10 PM »

Quote from: Nisorin on June 25, 2011, 01:05:56 AM

So, I saw something that struck a chord in me today, and I've seen similar things several times over this year. Drove past the elementary school, since the road its on is a shortcut to my bank. Saw a few kids outside it sharing a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Bear in mind, these are like, 2nd graders. I asked them what they were doing outside on a rainy day and without their parents around, they said it was normal for them. Asked them what they were reading, they showed me the cover. One saw the small pile of library books I had next to me that had to go back, asked me what it was. So I showed them, the first three books in the Drizzt series and the first Seventh Tower book. They both screwed up their faces, disgusted. "Mommy says it's stupid to make believe. Waste of time, and it doesn't make you any smarter or help you get a job." Really? What happened to letting kids be kids? What happened to fostering that blessed imagination that lets a child look around at the world with wonder? Has our world really sunk that low that even second graders are starting to worry about their job prospects? Am I the only one that finds this worrisome?

That's scary