Today, I was asked what is the most dangerous situation that I have been in?
I had to really think about it and I couldn't really think of anything. In the end I made something up that will give some people some laughs later on in the day: I was chased down the road by a flock of sheep.
This is not me, but you get the idea.
Some of the other people who answered this question had some interesting answers.
Close encounter with a Grizzly Bear
Kidnapped at gunpoint
In a car accident
Almost drowned in rapids during rafting
Car chase with police
Bitten by a dog
However, get a load of these ones:
I was fighting in a battle with (country name withheld) and I had two fingers cut off. Being shot at by 50 calibre machine gun while I was flying a helicopter in (country name withheld).
When I look at some of these things I wonder why the fact that I can't think of anything dangerous. Is this a statement about me that I play everything safe or the above people did things poorly by finding themselves in those dangerous situations?
Maybe today's question about the dangerous situation is an indicator for me and you that we need to get out of that comfort zone on occasions. Put ourselves out there. I'm not saying that we should join the military and look to go to war. What I am saying that the danger may not be physical, it might be mental though and the danger of being rejected or being yelled at is very real but if you are able to overcome that you will become stronger mentally and that is a good thing.
The grizzle bear appeared a few times today so to commemorate that, here is a picture of a grizzly bear.
Hmmm, I'll take the flock of sheep any day. (Actually that is quite a dangerous thing for a New Zealander to say. People could take it the wrong way.)
To me it sounds like a zoo and the word feral is very appropriate in this situation.
What is the solution?
Well, I know I'm going to get a lot of grief with this idea but it has to be said.
Some people have told me that you can't characterise people in two groups, introvert or extrovert. That's true. It exists on a continuum but in this circumstance you decide to ask people what they are?
So, before they enter the dorm, the students are asked. "Are you an extrovert or an introvert?" If they say, I'm an extrovert, they then have the option of joining the "party dorm." They can party all they want and socialise to their heart's content.
If the answer is they are introverted or they want to join the introvert dorm then they can live there but absolutely no parties are allowed. Drinking is to a minimum and it is an environment where people can relax, study in peace and quiet and recharge without worrying if their room door is going to be kicked down and people are going to piss in the corridor. If they want to do that, they can go to the extrovert dorm.
Some people are going to say to me, "I'm extroverted but I want to study and get good grades and live in nice and quiet surroundings."
To that I say "fine." Please live in the introvert dorm but remember that there are no loud parties. There are no midnight soirees and the people who live there don't want to go out every Friday night just because it's Friday. They might want, god forbid, to stay in their room and read books, play video games or do their homework on a Friday night. That is OK and you should be OK with it too.
There you go. Have your feral zoo if you want it. Have your boozy parties. Have your vomit and faeces all over the carpet but remember if you choose that, you have to respect the other person's choice and if you change your mind and think that living in a zoo is not for you then the introvert dorm will accept you but you have to play by their rules.
"Sometimes the people with the greatest potential often take the longest to find their path because their sensitivity is a double edged sword - it lives at the heart of their brilliance, but it also makes them more susceptible to life's pains. Good thing we aren't being penalised for handing in our purpose late. The soul doesn't know a thing about deadlines." - Jeff Brown
Does this strike a chord with you?
Have you taken a long time to figure out your life purpose?
Were you worried that everyone around you knew what they wanted to do?
If it worries you, listen to the following song:
"Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most 40-year-olds I know still don't." - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann "You don't choose your life's purpose, you discover it. When you do, it opens up a whole new world to you." - Sandy Gallagher
Let me tell you something, when you discover your life purpose you wonder why you didn't discover it a long time ago.
Sandy Gallagher also says that your purpose should benefit people long after you have departed this earth.
I suppose the 'take home' from today is that you will find your purpose. It might not pop up straight away but if you keep on doing the right things, then one day your purpose will present itself. Run with it. You never know where it will take you.
Please note that some of these are British and European-centric so I have changed them to fit me and hopefully some of you.
1. Buy a house - not yet
2. Have children - Not that I know of.
3. Get married - Not yet
Those are all very traditional.
4. Fall in love - Yep
5. Eat fish and chips on the pier - Now you are talking my language.
6. Donate blood - I'm sorry for being selfish but this is something that I haven't done. It scares me a little bit. I don't know why.
7. Read 100 books - Seriously if you haven't read 100 books by the time you have left SCHOOL, there is something wrong.
8. See your favourite band live - Does Michael Jackson count? I think that is the last concert I ever went to and it was awesome. The attention to detail was unbelievable. The only other thing that is comparable to a Michael Jackson concert is Disneyland with it's attention to detail.
9. Learn a language -
そう思います。もし外国語を勉強すれば、世界が広くなってるよ。
我在大学学习汉语了。汉语的翻译是很难。但是汉语语法和英语语法一样。
10. Attend a music festival - Yeah? I don't think so. This one is not very introverty.
11. Own a dog - Anyone who knows me well will know the answer to this one.
12. Learn to say no to your mother - Sorry Mother, "No."
13. Stay out all night partying - That is pretty easy to do in Tokyo
14. See the Northern Lights - Is there such a thing as the Southern Lights?
15. Visit Stonehenge - I must admit that this one thing that I would like to see although I have heard that you can't get close to the stones.
16. Remember where the gas cap is - If only I had a car.
17. Travel somewhere alone - My friend has done this and had a great time. Maybe with my introversion I find this quite scary because I can't start conversations with strangers easily.
18. Sleep underneath the stars - Yes, in Greece.
19. Watch a meteor shower - I remember seeing this kind of thing in Japan. They had been saying that it was going to be a Star Wars type shower and it turned into a bit of a damp squib.
20. Dance in the rain -
21. Become an expert at something - trying my best
22. Quit a job - Many times
23. See a volcano - when you grow up in New Zealand and live in Japan you have no option but to see volcanoes everywhere.
24. Visit all seven continents - 4/7
25. Throw a coin in the Trevi fountain - No
26. Take a helicopter ride - No. It doesn't look fun, I must say.
27. Have sex on a beach - A gentleman never kisses and tells.
28. Swim with dolphins - This is something that doesn't interest me at all.
29. Go skinny dipping - Does onsen (hot springs) count?
30. Ride a gondola in Venice
31. Make a snow angel - What is a snow angel?
32. Take part in a protest - Save the Makos.
33. Own your own business - Working on it.
34. Go in a hot air balloon - No
35. Ride an elephant - No
36. Climb Snowdonia - No but I have climbed Mount Fuji. Does that count? Of course it does.
37. Jump into a pool fully clothed - Do it when it is relatively warm and you have a change of clothes.
38. Backpack across Europe - No
39. Perfect a signature dish - Chicken curry!!!! Yummy.
40. Drink beer at Oktoberfest - Drink beer anywhere. What is the difference?
41. Run a marathon - I aways thought that this would be pretty cool until I learnt that I don't like running.
42. Get a tattoo - No thank you.
43. Ride a Vespa - Does a Honda Dio count?
44. Watch comedy at Edinburgh Fringe - My brother has done this
45. Write a novel - Done. It would definitely be controversial if it is to be published.
46. Write a journal - What do you think this blog is?
47. Spend a month technology free - Otherwise known as purgatory.
48. Try drugs - No comment. Isn't alcohol a drug?
49. Have a threesome - See number 27
50. Go to an airport and pick a random flight - That sounds interesting. It reminds me of the Jim Carrey movie in which they go to Lincoln, Nebraska in the US.
21/50. Still a long way to go. But, I'm not sure I am going to do number 11.
Today we travel to Chiba Prefecture, the prefecture to the east of Tokyo. Chiba is known for being the home of Tokyo Disneyland, great surf, the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball team and of course peanuts.
Chiba is known for peanuts, what are you going to be known for?
Why do people feel the need to bring other people down?
I was watching a video on Youtube the other day from the hit British TV program, Britain's Got Talent.
This is one of the most amazing tricks I have ever seen in my life. It was very entertaining and kind of gross.
Have you ever eaten cold canned spaghetti? I think that is a trick in itself and all respect to him.
Anyway, after watching it I was kind of curious about how he did it so I googled it. What I found was a lot of negative stuff trying to down play his performance.
I wasn't trying to downplay his performance at I was just interested to see how he did it. To be honest, I'm none the wiser and I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
Why is there so much negativity around? Why do people try to discredit people?
Where I come from it is called Tall Poppy Syndrome and basically it is people who can't do it for themselves OR people who don't have the guts to get up on stage themselves will try and bring down the people who do have the guts to get up there. They can't stand that those people are doing what they want to do that they will have a go at them.
Why? Why do you want to bring down people for entertaining you? Seriously. Let them be. They are having fun and they are trying to make you laugh as well. That surely is a good thing, right?
I'm curious now. I wonder what this guy is going to pull out of his hat (mouth) next time.
