On Time Travel (Possible Spoilers)

In honor of Back to the Future day, I've decided to reflect on time travel.

What would it be like to go back or forward in time? 

Besides Back to the Future, this phenomenon has been explored in several movies, books and tv shows. 

The idea that time is a fragile line that should not be altered is the theme of the short story "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury. 

In the story, a hunter named Eckles goes back in time to hunt a dinosaur, and he changes the time stream with one action that snowballs into a catastrophic future. 

It is possible that "the butterfly effect" theory came from a moment in the story where Eckles steps on a butterfly, and the time he once knew becomes something completely different. 

Harry Potter had an interesting take on the consequences of time travel, and what rules should be followed for a person (or wizard) to stay sane. He was allowed to go back in time to save lives, as long as he stayed out of sight.  

But he wouldn't have been alive if he hadn't gone back in time. 

In the third book, Harry saves himself, believing that he was saved by someone else. In the time stream, because Harry didn't see who saved him, he was protected from the bizarre event of meeting another version of himself. 

Sailor Moon also does this when she goes to the future, and saves not only her future self, but her future child. Naoko breaks all the rules when her future and present self speak, but they don't talk for long. Usagi's daughter, however, constantly talks of her life in the future while she is in the past, and she possibly influences the events that she believes happend just by speaking them. 

This idea was also explored in Meet the Robinsons, but with a positive effect. Because Lewis sees his future, and meets his future self, he is able to let go of his doubt and stop living in the past. Because Lewis saw how bright his future was, and how easily he could influence it, he started his journey to the future by moving forward instead of looking back. 

Doctor Who plays with time travel constantly, but there are rules that the doctor must follow in order to keep time from changing too drastically. There are always consequences to the Doctor's actions. 

Here's a fun theory they played with in a recent episode: 

That's the appeal of the show, and the character of the Doctor. He can go anywhere, and he has the power to do anything along the timestream, as long as he doesn't alter history in a bad way. 

Mr. Peabody and Sherman had a lot of fun messing with time. Sherman learned history by actually seeing it, and meeting the people who made it happen. 

One writing prompt I did, in a college writing class was to write a letter to my past self. It's strange, because that letter will never be seen by my past self, but in writing that letter, I realized just how much I had changed, and how I had stayed the same. 

If someone could mess with time, they have this crazy power to change anything. They could change major historic events, but the consequence could be devastating. They could change their own decisions, but then they may not be the same person. 

I have never written a story that messes with time, but it is interesting to entertain the idea. 

What would it be like? 

I think it would be intimidating. If you could change anything, and create whatever you wanted, you are closer to a god than a human. 

But it's also a huge responsibility. you must keep track of events and make sure that you don't alter history or how life is supposed to go. 

But how is life supposed to go? Is that something we have invented due to past experiences? Or is it a future prediction we have yet to reach?

Disney entertained the idea in Tommorowland that ideas themselves have the power to create the future, and the more positively we think, the more amazing and positive the future will be. I think there is some truth to that, at least in terms of an individual. 

If you don't believe that you can do something, then you won't. You will make excuses, you will allow fear to hold you back, or maybe its just something you don't want to do, so you don't, and naturally it doesn't happen. 

But if you believe you can do something, then you start to try. You may fail, try again and if you don't give up, you will accomplish it. Goals, dreams and wishes come true when they are persued. But they are only persued if you believe it is possible. 

No, it's not rocket science, but it is one of the most common morals and lessons in time travel stories. Events happen, but it is up to us to decide the meaning in them. One event may be forgotten, while another could live on forever, remembered as a holiday or an important moment in history.

The time that matters most is now. Because what we do today is a step toward the future, whatever that future might be. 

Serenity (A Sailor Moon Haiku)

Once upon a time

the moonlight will dry your tears,

turning them to laughter

Happy 22nd Anniversary Sailor Moon!

Happy Anniversary to the first superhero I wanted to be! I discovered Sailor Moon in elementary school, and from the first episode, I aspired to be as brave and powerful as a sailor senshi. 

Sailor Moon inspired me. This story taught me that an ordinary girl can be brave enough to vanquish the darkness in the world, and no battle is too difficult. There is always a way to win, if you believe in love and justice. The mythology behind Sailor Moon was one of my favorite parts of the series. The idea that the stars told stories, and the Earth was just one part of the Alliance that protected the Moon and fought against the evil in the universe. Sailor Moon was a princess, but she was also a warrior, the only warrior that never backed down when she faced the enemy. While fighting evil alongside her friends, Sailor Moon became more than a middle school student and Sailor V fan. She became the savior of the universe, and grew into an amazing hero that stood for love, courage and hope. 

My favorite series of Sailor Moon is the Super S series. The enemy tried to spread negative thoughts, feelngs and destroy dreams. Each victim would have a dream, and the enemy would rip the dream away from them by telling them it was too difficult, it was impossible, and they would never earn the right to make that dream happen. Sailor Moon's speech to the victim was always inspirational. She didn't say that it would be easy, but she did say that a lot can happen when you believe in yourself and never give up. 

Sailor Moon's battles were external, but they represented the internal struggles we all have in daily life. Each epic battle of good and evil stood for a battle within. Sailor Moon was far from perfect, but she was human. Her determination, courage and belief in herself have inspired me to do the same. 

The Power of Disguise

In my Mythology class a few years ago, my College Professor explained that you can learn a lot about a person by their disguises. Halloween itself is an archetypal holiday where people dress up as someone they admire, fear or want to be like. This lecture stuck with me as I learned about theatre, writing and the choices I've made for my costumes. Every character I have dressed up as is someone I admire or aspire to be.

When I was ten, I wanted to be just like Sailor Moon. She was brave, powerful, kind and beautiful. I dressed as her for Halloween because I admired her courage, kindness and her ability to overcome any obstacle thrown at her. Sailor Moon was my favorite character because I wanted to be just like her.

Belle has always been my favorite Disney Princess, and when I read the original fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, I admired many elements of Beauty or Belle's character. Belle is kind, true to herself and very smart. Her love of stories is something I relate to. Belle is also brave, and made the decision to stay at Beast's castle on her own to protect her father. I can't even count how many times I've dressed as Belle for Halloween. She's been a role model of mine for a long time. 

Yuna is my favorite Final Fantasy heroine, because she taught me how to find my own path, despite what I believed people expected of me. Yuna is a character that represents hope, courage and wisdom. Her difficult path made her stronger, wiser and insightful. As Yuna learns how to overcome obstacles, she discovers who she wants to be. I look up to Yuna's ability to face adversity and create her own path.

Serah was only in Final Fantasy XIII for a short time, but I was able to relate to her. Not only did we share the same name, but we have similar fears. Serah was afraid of becoming a burden, and even though she couldn't change the past, she guided her sister and the lcie to change their fate. In FFXIII 2 Serah is a main character with a difficult quest ahead of her. She makes the decision to do something instead of sit and wait for things to come to her. Serah doesn't let fate control her, she creates her own. This is why I dressed as Serah for a convention.

Alice has quite the story in the Tim Burton film. During the time when the movie came out, I was facing a big decision about facing fears, living my own life and not focusing on the expectations of people my age. I remember watching the film, and feeling exactly like Alice the entire time. All I wanted to do was run away. I didn't want to solve my problem. I wanted to run from it, as far as I could. But by the end of the film, I realized, just like Alice, that the only person who could solve my problem was myself. If I never faced that fear, I would never grow and change into the person I wanted to be. I dressed like Alice because I admire her bravery, and I believe that one day I will slay my own jabberwocky.

Lizzie Bennet is my current role model. She's smart, creative and cares for her family. Lizzie is even my age, or turns my age at the end of the show. Lizzie's character is a beacon of hope for my generation. She lives at home, and has a hard time deciding what she wants to do in the future, but she never gives up, and stays true to herself. She knows that she's not perfect, but she accepts her flaws and learns what she wants to do in her life. As a modern day Lizzy Bennet, Lizzie's character is a wonderful role model for the twenty something generation fresh out of college. I hope to be as creative, clever and true to myself as Lizzie is.

Every Halloween, I dress up like a character who inspires me, or who I aspire to be. A few other characters I remember, but couldn't find pictures for are : Megara from Hercules, Queen Amidala from Star Wars, and Mulan.
What about you? On Halloween do you dress up as a character who inspires you, frightens you or who you aspire to be?

Props that tell stories

So I thought of this list awhile back, but never posted it. Here's my imaginary wishlist from my favorite silver screen and T. V. screen stories.

1. The Evenstar Necklace from The Lord of the Rings
(I actually own this one)

This pendant literally symbolizes the story of Aragorn and Arwen. And the necklace itself seems pretty durable considering it has survived battle after battle with Orcs, a rough landing in the river, hike after hike in the mountains, a few horse rides, and finally a passage to the undead and back.

2. The Ruby of StormHold from StarDust

This prop tells the story of how Yvaine came to StormHold and how Tristan became king. This is another durable piece of jewelry because it goes through a crash, a trail in the wild, a witch fire incident, a trip through the sky and of course, the ultimate magical showdown, a starburst.

3. Time Turner necklace from Harry Potter

Let's face it. It would be amazing to go back in time, and I like the way the movie made it happen. Hermoine knew how to go to all her classes and be on time. She knew the secret to College years in advance!

4. Katara's Necklace from Avatar the Last Airbender
(I own this one too)

(http://ivy-kun.deviantart.com/art/Katara-s-Necklace-169905575)

I love the story behind this necklace. It was carved by Master Pakku for Katara's
grandmother, but she refused his proposal and kept the gift. She then passed the necklace down to her daughter, Katara's mother, and it was inherited by Katara when her mother died. She treasures it because it is all she has left of her mother, and still wears it, even once Korra becomes the avatar.

5. The MockingJay Pin from The Hunger Games
(I finally found this one)

This pin is more than it seems. It represents hope and triumph over the Capital. There's a story behind this piece of jewelry, and Katniss learns the tale before she volunteers for The Hunger Games. A symbol in itself, the pin tells the story of freedom and power.

6. The Star Locket from Sailor Moon

This item tells the story of the Moon Kingdom's fall and Sailor Moon's past. It looks authentic and real, with the theme for Sailor Moon playing and the crescent moon spinning around. It is such a lovely locket and it seems mythological to the Sailor Moon world. (This has been on my wish list for years!)

7. Hairpin and PigRabbit from You're Beautiful
(I own these :)

This prop tells a cute story that has to do with Go-Min-Nyue's charm and Hwang-Tae-Young's fears. Tae-Young was afraid of rabbits, and a pig chased him while he was visiting Go Min-Nyue's hometown. He bought Go Min-Nyue the hairpin when her hairpin broke and actually paid 100 dollars for it, even though the pin was only 3 dollars. (He was so embarrassed that he left without his change)
Once Go-Min-Nyue teases him about rabbits, Tae-Young decides to set the record straight. He makes a "PigRabbit" for her and gives it to her with the hairpin.

8. Precious Moments SnowGlobe from My Girl
(I also own this one)

Yu-rin doesn't know when her birthday is. Her father tells her that he only remembers that it was snowing, so every time it snows, Yu-Rin celebrates her birthday. After she tells Gong-chan this, he buys her a snow globe and the snow globe symbolizes the family that Yu-rin has created throughout the show.

9. The Labyrinth book from Labyrinth

Unforntuately, this prop was literally a prop. There was no story called The Labyrinth, but
it looks so nice that I think it would be neat if they republished the movie novel in this fashion. I remember watching this movie and wishing I could read the original story, before I knew that it wasn't based off of a book.

10. The "K" necklace from Dream High

 This necklace is passed on over and over again throughout the story of Dream High. Each student gets it and achieves some part of their dream, but they don't keep it for long, passing it on to someone else for luck. In the end, the popstar K, which could be anyone of the main characters, keeps it as a parting gift from someone they love.

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.