Thought Experiments

You find yourself on a game show. The lights are almost blinding, but you make out three doors ahead of you. Whatever you have done, you are now presented with a choice: Door number 1, number 2, and number 3. The game show host, in his bright red suit and quirky snicker, tells you that the prizes behind each door are aligned in order of value, but doesn't say in increasing or decreasing order. Which door would you pick? He opens up door number 3, and shows you that this prize is absolutely terrible. Which door do you pick now?

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You're now journeying in a mystical dream world. Interestingly, you come across an bizarre sight. A small strip of land that separates an inconceivably large pool of lava from an equally inconceivably large pool of water. Where would you walk on the strip of land? Closer to the lava, or to the water? What if you were notified that there were piranhas in the water? Where would you walk then?

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You're back in your own shoes. Life presents you a dilemma in which you could take a stance between two polar opposites. For argument's sake, you could swing either way, neither is necessarily pleasant. Two little figurines appear on your shoulders. One tells you to consider which of the two sides would be the worse of two evils. The other tells you to just pick the middle ground, as the argument of which is worse is irrelevant. Who do you listen to?

Same Old Scheme, New Theme

As it may very well be obvious, I've decided on changing the color theming to my blog. To be perfectly honest, the change was made for a couple reasons: 20% boredom, 25% the feeling of needing a change, 55% a black background doesn't hurt my eyes as much when I'm blogging into the wee hours of the night.

In contrast, here are the things I've been up to, and plan on keeping the same:

1) Reading - I have probably read in the past 2-3 weeks than I have in the entirety of my high school experience. I suppose it was more of finding the right material to read. CS Lewis, you're my man, reading your work and loving it. I've devoted a good chunk of my day to studying the Bible. I plan on continuing this through the summer and into the school year; it's very liberating and educational at the same time (something I definitely did NOT feel with Orgo).

2) Piano - Similarly, I've probably messed with piano and experimented with new chord progressions and melodies more in this last week than I have all of junior year. Oh, dear pianoforte, how I've missed you. This will be a very happy summer.

3) Basketball - My friends back home do not have a summer pick-up league for soccer. None of them really play football either. Bummer right? Instead, we're now playing basketball perhaps 2-3 times a week, and I get to practice my mid-range jumper on my hoop at home. Gotta stay fit somehow, right?

4) Prayer - My summer started off with the Lord guiding me through a difficult time, and I couldn't have done it without all the prayers of those dear to me. It's my turn to pray for those of you going through your own challenges.

5) Computer - As lame as it sounds, I spend a fair amount of time online, doing various things ranging from online video games to episodes of Glee. But most importantly, I get to catch up with all of those I've managed to catch online on GChat. I've managed to webcam with a few of you guys already, always nice to see your faces. Do chat me up, I'd love to hear from all of you!

I think this'll keep me fairly entertained/busy for the most part. Like the Black Eyed Peas sang, I've got a feeling...this summer's gonna be a good summer.

The Mad Scientist

Thunder booms, lighting strikes, a house in the middle of the forest.

The house is empty, a few creaks from the doors, but otherwise silence rules. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appears from an upstairs study, flies down the stairs, and dashes across the foyer. The flash from the lightning gives a glimpse on the shadow's face: one of a young man. The man disappears behind shelf. Closing the door behind him, he puts on his sound-canceling headphones. Let the experimentation begin! A lone smirk is seen on the young man's face.

As he stretches his arms and flexes his long fingers, he thinks on which instrument he shall work with. Looking around, he smiles at the large one, standing upright in the corner. Bigger is better, hmm? A marvelous machine of creation, black and white with gold imprints, the young man is happy with his choice. As the young man's fingers fly across its studded surface, the instrument responds quickly and pumps out waves of consciousness.

He is manufacturing mellow melodies, hinting at haunting harmonies, singing slick syncopations, and dancing with dangerous dissonance duos. They call him a madman, trying things that no one has tried before, mixing things that no one has dared mixed before. The young man pays them no heed; this is what he does best, what he loves: that is all that matters.

The trees outside are swinging back and forth, humming to a beat in the wind, jamming to the techno-esque lightning flashes; in the background, a soft bass-line of laughter is heard echoing.

Love, Unrequited.

Sitting outside on the steps of the apartment complex, a lone voice is heard at 3 in the morning. He is calm, having conversed with the stars in the peaceful night sky; now listening on the phone, where a girl's crying leaks out.

A young soul that cannot love in return is a soul in trouble indeed; but is that truly possible? Can there really be a love, unrequited in all forms? Oh, the good and the hurt that can come from such a predicament.

Love is not governed by laws like nature, how would it actually be possible to have a situation in which love continuously flows in one direction, like a stubborn stream, laboriously cutting through solid rock? This is not to say that love isn't natural; rather, it is a delicate thing, held in balance, nurtured by people. Given such resistance, love isn't as persistent as the wind that blows past him; love isn't as everlasting as the earth under him; love isn't as absolute as the fire that glows in the distance.

He comes back inside, the leak from his phone now fixed, but the question remains. If it isn't dictated by laws of, and like nature, then what controls how love is given and received? Is it not unsettling when one cannot return love and caring that one receives? Is it not so upsetting when one does not receive love in return for all that one has given? If that was the case, could love ever be unrequited? Can't love be given without expectations, without the strings of custom, under the influence of the puppeteer of social norms?

Unresolved, his mind wanders, perhaps there is no answer just yet. As the sun slowly rises, the stars go to back to sleep, and he follows suit.