Patriotism(?)
Jul. 1st, 2023 10:29 pmMy neighborhood sounds like a war zone at the moment. ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
aseanchai and I were talking tonight about donating to our local animal shelter for every booming blast, since more animals run away during the 4th of July holiday than any other time of the year. Well-meaning individuals have been trying to point this out on our community's Facebook page, only to get shouted down and harassed by every free-dum loving yee haw redneck that happens to see the post. The explosions started last weekend and probably won't stop for at least two more weeks. Our donation to the shelter will eventually reach infinity dollars.
I really shouldn't be upset about this, or at least not as upset as I am. Still, it's hard not to be. We live in an area with lots of wildlife, including sandhill cranes and bald eagles, not to mention plenty of pets. But it's the same every year, and not just for 4th of July. Living by a lake means we have a tourist season, though I've taken to calling it, "drinking season." People with summer homes descend on us starting on Memorial Day weekend and bring their loud vehicles, too-big boats and bad manners with them. In other words, we're invaded by people suffering from Main Character Syndrome. It can be exhausting. Literally, in the case of amateur pyrotechnics that last long into the night.
Maybe part of the reason why I'm so upset by this hyper-individualist assault is because I've been playing tons of TTRPGs recently withaseanchai , snakebitcat , and a bunch of other people I can't link to because they aren't on here. (Yet.) It sounds strange, but the collaborative environment of TTRPGs will start to shift your perspective over time. The best games don't feature on one person — everyone gets some "screen time," as it were, and the plot usually involves all of the party members working together to solve a complex problem. If you put yourself into that sort of environment on a regular basis, it can color your perception of how the world should be. We should work together. We should consider the needs of the group in addition to our own. We should look out for vulnerable people and seek to help them. (And in this case, "people," refers to all members of the ecosystem, including animals, plants, etc.) All of us should be trying to integrate that kind of everyday heroism into our lives, especially since it seems that most of the populace would rather gargle shattered glass. Someone has to turn this world of ours around. It may as well be us.
Maybe our upcoming game will give me even more inspiration. I can't wait to get started.
aseanchai and I were talking tonight about donating to our local animal shelter for every booming blast, since more animals run away during the 4th of July holiday than any other time of the year. Well-meaning individuals have been trying to point this out on our community's Facebook page, only to get shouted down and harassed by every free-dum loving yee haw redneck that happens to see the post. The explosions started last weekend and probably won't stop for at least two more weeks. Our donation to the shelter will eventually reach infinity dollars.I really shouldn't be upset about this, or at least not as upset as I am. Still, it's hard not to be. We live in an area with lots of wildlife, including sandhill cranes and bald eagles, not to mention plenty of pets. But it's the same every year, and not just for 4th of July. Living by a lake means we have a tourist season, though I've taken to calling it, "drinking season." People with summer homes descend on us starting on Memorial Day weekend and bring their loud vehicles, too-big boats and bad manners with them. In other words, we're invaded by people suffering from Main Character Syndrome. It can be exhausting. Literally, in the case of amateur pyrotechnics that last long into the night.
Maybe part of the reason why I'm so upset by this hyper-individualist assault is because I've been playing tons of TTRPGs recently with
aseanchai , snakebitcat , and a bunch of other people I can't link to because they aren't on here. (Yet.) It sounds strange, but the collaborative environment of TTRPGs will start to shift your perspective over time. The best games don't feature on one person — everyone gets some "screen time," as it were, and the plot usually involves all of the party members working together to solve a complex problem. If you put yourself into that sort of environment on a regular basis, it can color your perception of how the world should be. We should work together. We should consider the needs of the group in addition to our own. We should look out for vulnerable people and seek to help them. (And in this case, "people," refers to all members of the ecosystem, including animals, plants, etc.) All of us should be trying to integrate that kind of everyday heroism into our lives, especially since it seems that most of the populace would rather gargle shattered glass. Someone has to turn this world of ours around. It may as well be us.Maybe our upcoming game will give me even more inspiration. I can't wait to get started.
