optimisticWhy are you green?
You guys would have to start out with a tough one. ];=8) Were you expecting some sort of deep, quasi-profound response about color symbolism and internal metaphor? Because it's really nothing like that. I consider myself green (context for those of you still catching up: I am a dragon in spirit, and that dragon is green in color) basically because that was what stuck when I started exploring my inner dragon-ness. (Hey, you in the corner, who read that last line out loud and started snickering: Go wash your brain out with soap. Pervert.) Beyond that, I don't really have anything to say; it feels to me like asking why Cleopatra was Egyptian.
Are you happy?
The world is not perfect, and I can always think of ways for it (and me) to improve ... but yes, yes I am. 2001 and 2002 were tough years for me, and I started falling into depressive patterns -- but the move down here from Seattle was a good kick in the pants; my return to employment was a big self-esteem boost; I can see the ways in which I'm starting to turn my life around; and I'm really excited for the future and for the things I hope to accomplish with my life.
What is the terrible secret of space?
That being pushed down the stairs destroys one's mind and turns one into a mechanized lunatic, clinging to only the smallest shred of humanity: the urge to protect people from the realization of the ultimate futility of non-robotic life, by pushing them down the stairs and destroying their mind.
What do you want?
Greater realization that the fringe is the most fun place to be, because you get to explore all sorts of fantastic (even if occasionally disturbing) possibilities instead of just clinging to the one tiny one you started with; and, failing that, greater appreciation of the people who are out on it, and a general sense that new ideas are dangerous only to old ideas, not to the people who believe in them. ... Oh, did you mean for a late Christmas present? You can write a TTU story. ]B=8)
Cake or torture?
*looks around* This is a trick question, right? Does "torture" mean "a million dollars" in Ancient Swahili, or something? I'm all for a million dollars.
Why are dragon related things always sold at 5x their worth?
Because you're looking in the wrong places. Flip through the Dancing Dragon catalog looking for bargains, rather than trying to pick statuary up piecemeal from brick-and-mortar shops selling the same five M. Pena sculptures. Order commissions from the dragon community's talented artists (e.g.
kaijima, frameacloud, ssthisto) rather than searching for prints from "big-name" artists. And keep an eye out for the off-beat or exotic. For $70 some years back, I got a skateboard deck with some truly stunning dragon art on the underside; it's a far more impressive wall hanging than any poster ever could be. I also bought a $200 dragon sculpture from Novica once, but rather than being a $200 mass-produced piece of ceramic, it was an incredible hand-carved wooden import from Thailand, and arrived with a lovely postcard thanking me for my purchase in a language I still can't decipher. If I'm going to pay $200 for dragon stuff, it's bloody well going to be worth it.Are you really glad you came to live here, aside from easing the financial situation?
As I've said before, Penn Valley is not where I ultimately picture myself settling permanently. I'm increasingly realizing (after having lived with roommates continuously since leaving home for college) that I ultimately need a place of my own where I can set up a wide zone of personal space. (That's a me thing, not a because-of-other-people thing.) I'm ambivalent about leaving the city -- the convenience of having everywhere I want to go within walking distance, versus the peacefulness and solitude of a rural area. It's nice being back in a house of people with such similar interests, where my social circles have so much pre-existing overlap with my roommates'. There are good and bad points, but on the whole, moving down here was a positive thing for me; not just because I was getting into bad patterns in Seattle, but also on its own merits. ... More personally, we -- you and I -- have had some personality conflicts, because we're both people who like to control our environments and have strong ideas about the 'right' way to do things. I recognize this for what it is -- rubbing edges -- and I'm still trying to figure out a good compromise that lets us work efficiently with each other. This might be what you're cuing off of when you ask whether I'm really happy?
Have you ever seen the rain coming down on a sunny day?
Oh, heck, yes. I've also basked in the heat of fire-red summer sunsets; walked on the beach under a full moon; stood on a mountain above the clouds, looking out at a white sea of sky; and lost count of the stars in the ragged band of the Milky Way. Earth is a beautiful place. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.