It's tough being friends with a motley crew of slackers. Even though it's my friend's birthday, we didn't do anything. Even birthday boy himself slept in, and since he's eating dinner with his parents tonight, it means today is off the table for celebration. Since he doesn't mind, I suppose I shouldn't mind either, but it makes me angry that we fail to adhere to the most basic of social norms. Is it really too hard to get something to eat together?
Since that didn't pan out, I decided to polish up a story that's set to be published soon. Although I considered myself "finished," I went through things again and made fairly significant revisions. Whenever I write, there are always little pockets of narrative that annoy me, but I can't figure out how to fix it. I usually reserve the solution for a later date. Never once have I read over what I wrote without feeling this. I can try to diminish it as much as I can, but I can only achieve satisfaction. My masterpiece has yet to arrive.
Sometimes, the issue at hand is a simple swap of words. It's the difference between using "fast" or "quickly." If I waffle between the two, it means I'm not comfortable with either. In this case, having an editor might really help, because I end up switching the words every time I read through it.
I finally watched Come and See, a 1985 Russian film about the horrors of war. For all the praise it's gotten, I expected something more...gruesome. The film is definitely a lurid living nightmare of sorts, an effect I attribute almost entirely to the soundtrack, which is replete with screams, harsh echoes, discordant anthems, and a bit of classical thrown in for good measure.
It was hyped up to me as a true representation of the horrors of war, just as how 12 Years a Slave depicts its institution in all of its ugliness. I remain devastating unaffected. I'm a product of my times, where trashy gore films are common, not controversial. I once saw a movie about people getting raped to death by a giant fucking dick. Once you see that, old shit don't even compare. In case you're wondering, the movie sucked ass.
But Come and See does have an advantage since the atrocities are based on real life, and it makes my heart bleed for the world. It reminds me of how fortunate I am to not only be living the life I lead, but to even have the opportunity to say this shit.
/eventlog
