The Social Porcupine

I have a question for you: "If you lived in Germany during the Third Reich, would you have been one of those that stood by silent as Jews were dragged away from their homes? Would have refused to believe that Jews and many others were being killed and treated inhumanly at several large concentration camps scattered throughout your home country?" Before I answer this question for myself, I want to take a break and share a story from my siblings and me.  When my Dad was in the hospitable last year for a month, my mom spent all of that time with him, I was mostly in charge of my ten younger siblings. The few just under me in age were able to take care of themselves and help out with the younger ones, too, but as the oldest one I ended up dealing with most of the messy, stressful situations that arose.  Such as making sure my younger siblings did their chores and school and not spend every moment watching movies or playing video games. The only problem was dur

A perfect example of how a display of peace can "stomp" out others.  End of January, I met up with a few Au Pairs from my German class, and we said that we should all go to Vienna since it's only five hours away. We were all only fifteen kilometers from the Austrian, border, though. So we decided to walk over on a bridge ... On a bridge between Germany and Austria.  Picture of Germany taken from the Austrian side.  Sadly, only two of the four of us that made the plans were able to go ... but three others joined! They were also Au Pairs, just living in Munich and friends of the boy. We decided to drive to Vienna. All of our Au Pair parents told us it was stupid to do so. The common means of transportation around here seems to be primarily by bus or train. We were told that the streets would be too narrow and crowded, the interstates clogged, and that there were too many one-way streets in Vienna, not to mention few parking spaces. Despite all the warnings, w

If you're ever feeling depressed, listen to NF for an hour. Or two. Or three. Or forever. It won't make the depression go away, but you'll find calm in a sense of relatability.  I find my best writings are produced in the times when I'm not "in the best of spirits". Or maybe I should say, those writings are produced from thoughts I have in those times. Messy thoughts, that aren't usually organized, and very small in nature. I find hope when I start sorting through those thoughts, giving them substance, and embellishing them with beauty. Except, there are some thoughts that always remain messy, and it is those thoughts that beg for recurring attention every time my conscious sinks.  Like a child, you adore but has decided it can't exist outside of your arms, and so he scratches at your ankles, pulls at your legs, your shirt, your neck, punches your nose and eyes, wanting you yet not really wanting you. Clingy they call it. It's horribl