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View Full Version : On Being A “Suppose To” Person


Michael
12-30-2003, 09:08 PM
All of my greatness lies beneath me on my bedroom floor and, because I am not someone chosen by those who draft, at random, lives to be sent to the public for display, my bedroom floor will be my reception and acclaim.

I wonder why I am so sick tonight. I wonder why my head aches. I wonder why I am the example of physical defeat. I wonder why my body has descended the mountain of health. I wonder why I am paying for this awful merchandise if I did not order it.

Am I someone’s experiment? Am I so sick because I have failed so often or is this bitterness of well being intended as just another failure?

Each individual human being is a peg who is uniquely crafted to fit one specific space in life and only one. My space has been confined to failure. I hate what I would not fail at and I fail at that which I love.

I am one of failure’s more frequent abodes and so I must believe that my new thought will end in failure. Were I crafted for a different space, maybe she would be incarnate hope, but my space is confined to failure. And my wanting her gives failure proportions of the most awful magnitude.

Does the loss of one’s mind need accompany the loss of one’s life? I am losing both, now, at a frighteningly rapid pace. But why should I be frightened to die? Death could be no less than a final failure. Maybe I should actually aid this failure. But it could never work. I would only fail and who knows where I’d be?

Someday, someone will come along who really cares. They’ve been here already and they’ve left. People who really care come and go and take their care with them because my space has a big sign hung from its peg which reads “DEFEAT” and everyone who comes my way acts accordingly. I’m supposed to fail. Like a teacher is supposed to teach or a barber is supposed to cut hair, I’m supposed to fail. So, you see, we’re all “suppose to” people whether we want to be or not.

I love writing, but she’ll reject me because of the sign on my space. I’m not feeling self-pity because that would be fruitless. I have nothing to do with that sign, and, since I don’t know how it was attached, I don’t know how to detach it. I don’t know the way out from this space because I was blind folded when I was put here. One day, all of a sudden, I opened my eyes and I was here and there was this sign which read “DEFEAT” hanging around my neck, choking me slowly until now.

So, this is my physical problem. I’ve been choked by defeat. I’m a creator, but I create ungrateful monsters which try to kill me with their stagnant states. They refuse to mature, thus fulfilling my destination of failure. Even now, I give life to another one of my assassins. Unappreciative bastards! All of them!

I was trained to say, “Thank you, God, for thinking of me”, but my creatures don’t thank me. They kill me instead. They stand still. They stay in one place. They lie on my bedroom floor. They’re all parasites. I improve them, I recopy them, revive their dead parts and they become stronger. But they use their strength against their creator.

I am so sick. I am physically so sick and I don’t even have a happy thought. Writing was lost before I even had her.

My space confines itself to failure, so you must act accordingly. If you don’t reject me, I will be happy, much too happy to understand it. I am building confidence and also building failure’s prestige. You see, intensity is prestige for failure.

Why was the sun created when I was destined to be a consequence? I want my space and me rebuilt!

Ignorance is bliss. I didn’t know anything about spaces and pegs. Who told me? Why would anyone want to destroy my bliss?

So now I know. I have a sign hanging around my neck, choking me, ungrateful masterpieces spending their existence in repose around the floor of my bedroom and one more bead to add to the string of failure’s accomplices.

What’s strange, though, is now I’ll sleep and later I’ll try anyway. After all, I’m supposed to.

Barbriat
12-30-2003, 11:56 PM
Michael, this is an amazing piece. I've never read anything like it. I will come back again tomorrow and re-read. Amazing and most interesting. One read will not do. Not at all.

GG
12-31-2003, 12:19 AM
this reminds me of albert camus' "the stranger".

thinking and thanks,
GG

tony schofield
01-02-2004, 06:51 PM
The paradox is I guess, that if Barb thinks that this piece is amazing then you have ceased to succeed at producing failure - so does that make it a success or a failure? I'm feeling dizzy - must think some more. Thanks for sharing this michael

tony

judih
01-03-2004, 12:44 AM
i think DEFEAT
needs to find another home

judih
*peace*

the_grey_girl
01-03-2004, 01:38 PM
It speaks a story I know well... excellent expression of it. Loved the lines:

"So, this is my physical problem. I’ve been choked by defeat. I’m a creator, but I create ungrateful monsters which try to kill me with their stagnant states. They refuse to mature, thus fulfilling my destination of failure."

I feel like that sometimes, more like a tired circle track that I just keep plodding on, and can't get past the edges to make a new path, and the demons keep getting louder each time I make the revolution.

Thanks for writing this and making me think!

Michael
01-06-2004, 07:44 PM
First, allow me to apologize to all of you who have responded to this “essay” for my tardiness. I’ve been busy cleaning my room lately. ;)

Barbara, I think it’s amazing that, upon posting what were simply negative and depressing thoughts, someone considered the writing “amazing”. I guess it’s just further proof that, when one writes from one’s own heart and experience, the results can be surprising. Thank you.

GG, a humbling comparison at best. Thank you so much.

tony, I didn’t mean to make you dizzy. On the other hand, your dizziness just might give you a feel for how I felt when I wrote this (or could it be that brew in the other hand). :D Thank you just the same.

j., “defeat” is not an occupant, but it is a far too frequent visitor. Thanks for the read.

Grey, I just appreciate that you took the time to read this.

greygirl, thanks for reading, commenting and thinking. It’s very much appreciated.

zienzieu
01-07-2004, 08:32 PM
good read. good read. yes, yes.

Wylde
01-08-2004, 06:21 AM
stunning.

thanks fer the giving.

Brittney L
01-09-2004, 09:34 PM
I was trained to say, “Thank you, God, for thinking of me”,

I think many of us are and it becomes difficult to utter those words when we are experiencing such hard times. And "thank you" is hardly in order.
I will not preach to you ;)

This was a tug at my emotions, along with others I'm sure.
It's not something one can read just once.
It DESERVES to be read over and over again.

Blessings,
Britt

Michael
01-15-2004, 01:26 AM
zienzieu, Wylde and Brit, thanks so much for reading this piece and for your comments.

goldenmyst
01-15-2004, 01:20 PM
Michael, this existentialist piece is powerful. The calm acceptance of one's place in the universe, belies a strong desire to rebel against fate. Human existence and aging is in a sense a rebelling against fate, a long drawn out battle with nature. Just the fact that you wrote this shows you are very much still actively participating in the human drama. Great work my friend. :)

John

Michael
01-15-2004, 08:26 PM
Thanks for taking the time to read and for the well thought out response, John.

turpentine soup
01-20-2004, 03:50 AM
This feels like a dark convoluted ride that ends where it began. Some familiar feelings here.. I often find myself walking forward without knowing why (even though i know i'll end up in the same place). Maybe it's because deep inside, i believe that i don't really know anything for sure which makes anything possible. (Sorry, i'm rambling). Also, someone told me that what one is 'supposed to' be has to do with one's dreams and aspirations. I don't know.
I won't know exactly what it's like over there, just sharing some stuff. anyways GREAT WRITE! this part gave me chills:

"They kill me instead. They stand still. They stay in one place. They lie on my bedroom floor. They’re all parasites. I improve them, I recopy them, revive their dead parts and they become stronger. But they use their strength against their creator."


turps

Michael
01-21-2004, 06:51 PM
turps, I don’t think that you were rambling at all. I’m just grateful that you took the time to read and comment. I’m glad that you could identify with this essay. Thank you very much.