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All you really need is courage (GMBB)Oct 25 '02 (Updated Jan 06 '06) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line If you have no courage, your life is dull and pointless. Or maybe you aren't even alive?
I noticed that the first entries in the GrannieMose birthday write-off largely seemed to be things such as poetry or short stories. I had been planning to do a movie review, but one of my policies is to re-watch the movie before doing the review. I’ve yet to re-watch “Cover Girl”, which I was thinking of reviewing, and I don’t know if “Dirty Harry” or “The Searchers” would be appropriate for this write-off. As such, I’ve also decided to do a story, though I’m a fish out of water here. Hmm, maybe it’s time I evolve into an amphibian. Or do a review of a movie. I'll see what I can do -Weirdo Webster’s definition of courage: Courage (n) bravery; fortitude, spirit. Courage can be considered in many ways. Soldiers are courageous for going into foreign territory to wage wars or stand peacekeeping for god knows how long. Firefighters and other rescue workers obviously have this virtue: Those guys who ran into the twin towers to save other lives are among the greatest heroes of all. Lest we forget (How can we with the monthly celebrations?) But does courage have to be risking your life for those of others? No. I did an assignment recently about this subject in my English class, where we had to go around asking people about their thoughts on courage. One of the people I interviewed was a 5-year old girl, who said the bravest thing she had yet done was go to sleep with the lights off. I could relate to her experience: I used to leave the lights on until I was about seven or eight (Now I practically live in the dark like that one count from Transylvania. What was his name: Dick Gephardt? Al Gore? Warren Christopher? Never mind). Another example of courage is sticking up for or standing by a friend. I wouldn’t know much about this since I haven’t too many friends and those I do have are well capable of standing up for themselves. I once did have a friend whom I would stick up for. But since he moved away to Victorville, I rarely visit him (It’s a rather long drive). I don’t even know how he is right now or what he thinks of me. Some friend I am. There are other actions that can be considered courageous: Raising you hand up in class to ask for help on something you don’t know or to answer a question you’ll probably get wrong. Admitting openly to the world that you have a physical or mental problem. Voting on an issue that you believe in, yet isn’t the popular belief. Or standing for your ideals no matter how rough the fight. There is a place that’s chock full of these types of courage, and then some. It’s right under your nose, yet may easily pass you by. No it’s not the never-ending battle of man and nature. It’s a web-site. No not “Liberal Party Headquarters” (Though you must admit that it takes courage to vote such). Or Amazon.com (Great place to buy stuff, but only a so-so review site). The site I’m referring to is Epinions. It takes courage to form an opinion on this site and to stick with it. It’s easy to critique, but more difficult to express that critique in an essay. This can be rather difficult, especially if some of your opinions differ from the majority belief. It doesn’t matter to me what your opinions are, just what you use to support them. I might be able to poke holes through it, so make the reasons solid. All of our site's top reviewers have courage for doing so. GrannieMose is no exception. Later in October (On the 28th, I believe), she will turn eighty. There are some people her age who are afraid of new technology. They don’t realize the value of computers or of the Internet. One time, my Uncle Ron told a story of when he went to the home of my grandmother and her boyfriend Bob (He isn’t related to us and isn’t married to her yet). Ron says that he was bored stiff, a feeling I knew (My parents and I had gone there for Thanksgiving the previous fall, where I plowed through "2001: A Space Odyssey" and “The Rock Says…”, both 300 page books, in a matter of hours). Ron thne told us about how he told Bob all about computers and the Internet, with which he told Bob that you could do anything on there: Your shopping. Your accounting. Even talk to people in China! Bob’s response, according to Ron: “I don’t know anybody in China”. So long as he’s unwilling to have courage to open up, Bob will be ignorant of a computer’s value. Fortunately, GrannieMose seems to know a PC’s worth. She cruises around Epinions like it’s nothing. While some people half her age are afraid of changes in technology, our honoree isn’t. Virginia (As GrannieMose’s real name is) was only about 64 years and 49 weeks old when I was born in October 1987. Now in my case, some people may ask as to why I’m on this site. For one thing, I can’t make earnings yet. And reviewing can be seen as “Old People’s” work: Teenagers should be out playing sports, getting dirty or in limited amounts of trouble, or starting to hit on other schoolgirls But I’m an exception. Despite my above average height of 6 feet, 2 inches, I was never very athletic. I do some of the other things teens do like video games or music. But I don’t have anything except an N64 (Which isn’t bad, but perhaps “Outdated” by today’s standards?). And the music I like listening to is film soundtracks. Another example of my courage is in the films I choose to watch. Since last year, I’ve mostly been watching “older” films. Some people have asked why I dislike contemporaries. The thing is I don’t dislike current films. Not by any means. They may even have the edge over the “vintage” films in how acting styles have become more realistic and more leant censors permit more honesty when dealing with touchy subjects. I just find the “vintage” ones to be more wholesome. Directors seem to have forgotten that an innuendo works as effectively, if not more, than seeing the actual thing. But I am versatile: I’ve given positive reviews for “Black Hawk Down” and “Liar Liar” and I liked “We Were Soldiers” (Though I’ve yet to review it). This serious critic was even able to watch “Showtime” without holding a straight face, thought I admit it was sometimes more stupid than fun. I also notice that people would avoid movies just because of who starred or directed it. For example, at least two of my favorite film writers claim to have a phobia of Stanley Kubrick, who happens to be one of my favorite directors. Now I admit that he didn’t always have the golden touch (“Barry Lyndon” is pretty and dull), but quite a few of his films are great. Yet these people wouldn’t know it because they steer from his works. A great film critic in my opinion is not biased: They can prefer one actor or director over another, but shouldn’t avoid films just because of the brandname. Hell I don’t care much for Tom Cruise (Who doesn’t?) yet the dimwitted and bombastic “Top Gun” is one of my guilty pleasures. And I want to see the much praised, but also much berated, “Minority Report” when it comes on DVD. [Then again, you could say that it takes courage to watch a film that you know you’ll probably dislike. And to find things you liked about it. A sword with two edges!] But the greatest example of courage is the fact you live your life. As I described above, I’m not the most athletic, which does rather annoy me. But I’m also not the most respected: There are some students I know who go off on me if I merely look at them. And they don’t use words like “Four eyes” or “Tubby” anymore. I’ve been called such things as ‘gay’, ‘f*g’, ‘dumb a$$’ or ‘fat a$$’. But those are weak insults, for I have responses for them: Why thank you, I am happy. Sorry, but I don’t think that I’m a pile of sticks used for fuel. How can your buttocks be smart or dumb without a mind of it’s own? Maybe yours has one, but mine doesn’t. I must ask why you’re always talking about my rear end. Do you have a secret you prefer not to tell? The next set of offenses, though, aren’t as easy to overcome. I’ve heard profanities that would be considered offensive for females. Everything from ‘slut’ to a female dog to clever combinations of such words. I think that these guys would have to have been abused as children to be using such words (And yes I have heard that the best thing to do is to ignore them. Believe me, I’ve tried it. But it’s like trying to shut out the outside world by closing the screen-door. If there’s one thing I don’t do, its scamper away the teacher like a little schoolgirl. I learned the hard way at a young age that snitching over such things is wrong: I got cost many a friend because I would tell the teacher if that person swore or if that person called me a name. I figure that these guys have no courage for calling me such things. They have low self-esteem and get their kicks by verbally insulting others. But this doesn’t make them look masculine: If they really wanted to prove their manhood, they would knock me out. I wonder why they haven’t. Perhaps I’m more intimidating then I thought. Or stupider. This review is part of my contribution to the “GrannieMose Birthday Bash Write-off”, headed by artbyjude in honor of her mother GrannieMose (Or Virginia, as the now eighty year-old birth certificate says). There are eighty contributors to the write-off, one for each year (I think I’m number fifty). As such, I can’t list the contributors here in one paragraph. Use this URL to take you to a write off site built by redwolfoz: http://www.geocities.com/granniemose2002/  |
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