Snacks For Thought: Purpose of Journeys

Discussion in 'The Tavern' started by azukilemons, Apr 13, 2018.

?

What's your poison?

  1. Galaxy Quest (Double the Dice)

    50.0%
  2. BloodSucker

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Classic Ale with bit of Ygdrassil

    50.0%
  4. Beer. Just Beer.

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  5. Red wine with Minotaur's Blood

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  6. Water cause I'm sick of you drunkards

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. Whatever's free

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. azukilemons

    azukilemons Adventuress of the Open Galaxies Citizen Aspiring Writer

    48%
    Messages:
    28
    Likes:
    37
    xp:
    124
    LitCoin:
    634,079
    Zorkmid:
    45
    *For People Who Need to Vent and/or Reflect. Adventurers in a Tavern Style.

    ------------------------------------------
    Setting: A table in the back. The place is packed and a saucy elf barmaid slams her tray on the hard oak. She arches a brow. "Y'all plan on ordering or what?"

    You and I have been sitting there waiting for your fellow company to stop by "later" but they're running late. Two hours late. Well, Gilford the Heroic Troll Spanker and Melinda the Bewitching Hercules are busy being popular heroes and all...

    Me: "I'll have a Galaxy Quest. Double the dice."

    You: "Ale. Classic. Bit Ygdrassil Twine, if you have it."

    The elf lifts her head up and twirls the tray on the top of her fingertip effortlessly. "Good." She stomps away, swaying her hip to the side as a Barbarian makes for a snatch. "Back off, oaf, or I'll stick a staff up your ass!" Less than a minute later, she manages to order a wizard to float our drinks toward us - Once again, the barbarian misses - and we chug it down.

    Me: "Ahhhhhh. Nothing like a taste of the stars after taking down a goblin horde."

    You: "And that stack of paperwork. Damn contracts. We fight together, we win together. Split the treasure equally? Knew working with famous heroes was a pain the butt. Everyone assumes most of the work and credit goes to them."

    We rant on until we exchange philosophies and pictures of ugly-cute pugs in tutus. Pugs was the word, right? As a matter of fact, where's my wallet - damn. Thief got away. Oh well, I got gold down my - ahem. You were saying?

    The rants continues on for hours as we clink glasses and chug until foam drips down our chins...and Tonight's one is no different.

    "f**k Gilford! Tab's on us!"

    The house cheers.
    ------------------------------------------

    CUE RANT AT THE TAVERN: PURPOSE OF JOURNEYS

    WARNING: A bit long. Free Flow Writing Style. Might be 'fixed up' later.

    I slam the drink down and get talking.

    "First things first. Get it? "Snacks for thought" play on "Food for thought"? Hahaha....*continues laughing awkwardly to mirror*

    Cough. Right then. Back to subject of tonight's show...

    "Purpose of Journeys". I've been always a daydreamer, but you know when reality sucker punches you and you have to tell yourself an angel or a crying kid from some RPG anime or Vin Diesel is telling you to still do good things and not be a dick? And then remember that Steve Jobs quote where he realized that the people that built the world we know around us are no smarter than we are in an effort to comfort ourselves that we aren't sad pieces of shit? With pants that grew two sizes up since high school?

    Yeah. Ok, that might just be me, but that's when I started thinking about journeys. If people are the same everywhere minus thought patterns and cultural differences, then why travel?

    Using my own life experiences, "short" as they be, there were many instances where if I reacted the way people wanted me to, I'd probably be happier and more "successful". "Nice", "Social", "Good". I wouldn't question anything. If anything, I'd be a girl who would yearn for her mother's love, have 3-5 love stories to share, be done with college and working in a job that pays the bills and nothing more. Complaining would be the go-to, hard issues would be avoided, marriage would mean "happiness" and "hell", forgive anybody anything without anger and I'd always smile. Smile. Smile.

    And then they'd walk all over me.

    The thing with life as a human in a popular city is that no one really gives a shit even if you're nice. Even family. People lie, cheat, accuse you of wrongs yet never address them if you want to fix a problem. Everyone always needs to be "right" and then you feel self-righteous surrounded by just as angry people. Bitter, even. Taxes rose? f**k. You're too depressing because you have no money and stare too long at the McD dollar menu to last the day? Ok. You're way to nice and no one likes a pushover? Ok. Now you're too scary - oh, jeez.

    So what I did? Yep, brilliant me did what all blockbuster teens do - the "opposite". "Stop caring what other people think" is as easy as resisting gravity when you've fallen off a cliff. But you can fake it even if you have to lie to yourself, right? Yeah, that plan worked.............for never. I became a loner and then my insecurities crawled over me and embedded into my acne-covered skin like parasites from the dog my 'I've had dogs before' aunt always let in the house with fleas. (Note: Borox and vacuuming. Looots of vacuuming).

    Honestly, I'd have been much happier if I didn't have to think at all. No one would leave the shire. Prince Eric could go marry a nun.

    If I never went on a journey, mentally, spiritually or physically, I have enough distractions to pass the time where I am. Even when I'm away from most people positively or negatively now, the doubts continue to entertain. Keeping me in place, stagnant, like the story of those two monks in a temple who'd always resist their wanderlust with a single thought: I'll go next season.

    Tomorrow...
    I'll work on losing weight. Stop giving a f**k (the book). Not worry about shitting my pants (not a book). wear make up. Find love. Find a way to settle in love. Find a date. Eat vegetables. Stop soda. Work on freelancing. Work on writing. Marry a tree - cross that off. Maybe just give up and run in a cave. Never mind, there are leeches in there. I'll be a NEET. Oh, I'm broke. Ok then, become employed at a place that will hire me that's not in sales anymore. f**k, office drama. Ok, I'll work on my life tomorrow....

    Living period is a journey. Even in the small boxes I call home and work. I'm an overweight hamster wearing black T-shirts with images of rage, grudge and bitter. Or Sailor Moon and Lina Slayer when I escape reality twice a week.

    Why go on a journey? The world is too big to face. If Jesus, Buddha, Alexander the Great or Steve Jobs had trouble, how could I hope to match? Even Bilbo Baggins had nice doilies and tough, McDonald-sized feet. I could never change and no one can say shit.

    Except.

    I wouldn't be the same. I'd be a part-timer at a library if I never left. And then a knife seller. Then a fancy theater box office girl. Then a soulless paper pusher. If I never left town, I'd never be an adventurer.

    I don't want to die not trying.

    Maybe the point of the journey wasn't what sights I see or what enlightenment I reached. Maybe it's giving up all the traps that make me who I think I am. The gossip, the accusations, the expectations. Being on a roller coaster depending on other peoples' moods and beliefs about me. Whether they like my taste in clothes or believe I'm talking behind their back when I'm focused on anime and bills. Or someone's relative gets arrested or a drug dealer's house catches fire behind a guy's kid's school or, hell, someone's house actually caught on fire and now their wardrobe is smoked up to toxic levels. Where will they vent? It's easy.

    I want to be Jiraiya or Kino or Gandalf. But I'm probably Sasuke with the power level of Sakura in the first season. Without the brain." I inhale deeply while you stir your 7th Bloodsucker Margarita. A woman winks at you from across, but I pull you close and ramble on to your annoyance.

    "Where was I? Oh, right. Anyway. Maybe the purpose of us going on journeys was to change ourselves by taking away all that we wish "right" or deemed normal. Humans aren't the center of the universe anymore than that snob's poodle was. That elf archer over there can be. Yum."

    You snort. "I want to go yum, too." You wink at the saucy sorceress from afar. "Can I go?"

    "ANSWER MY LIFE PROBLEMS!" I roar and cry. "I'm your comrade?"

    You: "This is why they say don't be friends with co-workers. Okay, fine! Don't blow your nose on my cloak! If you know journeys are a way of transformation and you hate being here in this town, then why not go? Go on a journey yourself instead of collecting D rank missions with Mr. Popular Hero all the time?"

    "I can't fight."

    "Then go gain experience. That old lady beat your ass too easily. Dude. She had a purse."

    "I stopped her from eating children! I ate her charms."

    "It was by chance you ate the cookie. Moving on, dude. Go. Don't stay on my account."

    "You're right!" I jump on the table and raise my sword to the sky. "I'll go right now! Farewell, my comrade!" I storm off.

    You blink. Then pick up my wallet from under the chair with a sly smile. And wink at the sorceress. "Honestly, this is why you don't trust thieves either."



    .......Yeah. Anyone got more thoughts on journeying? Heading on an IRL one soon. Hopefully it's more Pokemon than Taken, but who knows? And writing about journeys, even suckily, is a journey. Ok I'll stop saying that word.

    P.S. I ended up caught by slavers of the Dark Lord. Stay tuned for what I do next.
     




Share This Page