Conflict is Never-ending

I just finished playing the game Final Fantasy Dissidia which takes place in a timeless battle of good and evil. The Goddess Cosmos and the God Chaos are trapped in this never-ending cycle to battle. Even if they die, they are reborn again once the damage of the battle scars the world enough to destroy it. The destruction creates the rebirth of the same cycle. I have read stories and seen movies with a similar idea. Good versus Evil and Light versus Darkness are always the main conflict in any popular story. This observation brings an interesting philosophical theory. Once the conflict is gone, there is no purpose. Ironically enough, I read about this in my Mythology class. King Arthur and his Knights become idle once their quests are over. Arthur confides this to Guinevere who tells him that it is not so surprising. Without purpose, the knights have nothing. Cosmos and Chaos must always battle for this same reason, and once one is gone, the other loses all meaning.Even Sailor Moon, when she is given the opportunity to destroy the Galaxy Cauldron and end the rebirth of her ultimate nemesis, decides that the action would be pointless. This is also similar to the reoccurring theme in Kingdom Hearts that light cannot exist without darkness. Because I'm a writer and a thinker, I try to understand what these conflicts mean. You could say that this is a product of the common mythquest, or you could say it is the troupe of yin and yang. I choose to look at this theme in a different approach. Conflict makes us who we are. Every battle whether internal or external teaches us something. I'm not saying that conflict is good or even bad, it is conflict regardless. And conflicts push stories along. Everyone wants to see the ultimate battle where the hero faces the villain and conquers his or her fears. This symbolic battle displays a rite of passage and shows growth in the characters. It's an interesting concept to think about. Does conflict really define good and evil? Is conflict a necessary cycle in order to learn about oneself? Would a hero still be a hero without a nemesis? Maybe I can answer these questions in a story one day.

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst: A book review

"you must find the Ivy Key" (19). This is the ultimate test that Lily must pass in order to be accepted at Princeton University. But she is in for more than a pop quiz! With mentions of magic and her father, Lily is soon thrown into a complex mystery that has very few clues. Should she believe that the magic is real? Or is it a hoax set up by her grandfather's old college friends? To add to the confusion, she seems to be followed by a college boy with orange and black hair who claims to be her guard. She only has a few days to solve this puzzle and the clock is ticking.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's been awhile since I couldn't put a book down and became immersed in an interesting story. Durst knows what she is doing when it comes to the realm of magic and the real world. With a mystery to keep you guessing and plenty of action and suspense, Enchanted Ivy
is a fresh story in the teen fiction genre. Lily is an interesting teen and her family seems to consist of a mother and a grandfather. With a strong sense of responsibility, Lily takes the challenge and begins to learn more about herself than she would have ever guessed. With a few companions and more enemies than she realizes, Lily must solve the mystery to achieve her dreams.
I give this book five out of five talking statues :) I'll be reading this one again!

The Light in Darkness

I've been in rut lately. I haven't blogged in a long time and I've been unmotivated to do so. It's interesting how things eventually catch up with you. The main theme in Kingdom Hearts and in several different stories is that even in the deepest darkness you will always find light. For the past year, I have been trying to understand the meaning or significance of hope. Maybe this is the definition. Hope is the light in the darkness. When things look rough or if you're heartbroken and confused, there will always be a way to find what you need. After all, there is no darkness without light and no light without darkness. Each element plays a part in life. So maybe the only way to get out of a rut is to believe you can. Believing is the first step to finding the help you need. I'm still lost, don't get me wrong, but maybe, just maybe I haven't lost hope.

Dark and Light (A song dedicated to Kingdom Hearts)

Light
It helps me through the night
As I wander
The darkest part of
Day
to chase the pain away
I am in wonder
While the time goes by. . .
I continue to try

I will fight
The negativity
As it resides
in the deepest part of me

Down this road between
Night and Day
Dark and Light
I'll chase the hurt away

I draw my blade
And step into the fray
Now there's no going back. . .
Through the heart and husk
From dawn till dusk
I will stay
I will stay

Though the road twists and turns
A fire, in me, burns
To bring me home
Until I find this goal
I'll fight for control
even if I'm alone

Light
It helps me through the night
As I wander
The darkest part of
Day
to chase the pain away
I am in wonder
While the time goes by. . .
I continue to try

I will try
to reach my dreams
no matter how it seems
to be hopeless
I know
I have wings
To get me through the darkest part of day

Light
will get me through the night
As I wander
The darkest part of
Day
There's always a way
to believe

Empty

It starts out small
Then grows through the day
My focus falls apart
I don't know what to say
Confusion kicks in
Mixes with doubt
No matter how hard
I try to push them out
It's a vicious cycle
Painful and lame
I tell myself
Only I'm to blame
Things don't matter anymore
If I buy them from a store
Life seems to lose it's glow
The more difficulty I know
I take a deep breath
Try to take it all in
How did this all start?
How did this begin?
Distraction only works
For a limited time
I feel like a burden
for committing a crime
Why steal light away
From other people's day?
Why complain about something
I deal with again and again
A mid life crisis
This may be
But if it is
What does that say about me?

Foolish Heart

Sometimes a song just says it all. I'm not falling for anyone right now, but I feel my heart has been foolish and wrong so many times. My mom told me to listen to this song one particular difficult night. It makes sense. I'm not afraid of falling for anyone in particular. I'm afraid of falling period. So much has slipped through my hands, how could anything be static?

Something Blue 12

On "Blue" moments

There are times when things hit you. A past event or a fragile memory creeps into your daily routine and challenges all your knowledge of yourself. I experienced such a moment today after class. There are many sayings that tell you not to think of the past, but sometimes it's hard. Not all memories of the past are sad, but the absence of those times catch up with you after a while. It could be anything. A friend you never see anymore, a relative who has passed on or even a happy moment in a tough time of your life can be remembered. I think every once in a while, these "blue" moments help us realize how much we've changed and how fast time has moved. It all starts with memory. A word, a phrase or an occurrence can spark a time in your life that you remember when you knew less about the world. Sometimes these moments are useful and opportune to reflection of the self. Other times these moments become a curse, reminding us how much we have lost. The paths of life are never clear, however if you're thinking of someone in your life, chances are they think of you too. They might not say so, or act that way, but just as people influence change in you, you influence change in others. During these "blue" moments, maybe it is best to remember what you had and cherish the memory. Perhaps this is the best way to view hard times and to build yourself up for the future.