Uh oh... it's a soppy one...

I'm sorry, I really didn't want to do this, but I am left with no option... I need to get this stuff out of my head and go from there.

So, I've had this discussion with quite a few people, and so far, I don't think I've ever had the same answer. But this isn't a case of who is right and who is wrong, who is interpreting things which way, and how to work out who has the best answer. Because that's just wrong...

I guess I should tell you what I'm going to rabble on about here. It is perhaps life's biggest and best gift. Coming up to Christmas, I guess it's only appropriate to discuss such things, because I guess it's the best gift you can give to someone, and to receive it in return is priceless. It enriches people's lives, and is as free as the oxygen we breathe.

I'm talking about the big one;

Love.

So everybody views this differently. Some people have been so hurt by it that they swear to never love again. Others would give their right arm and their left leg just to feel some sort of appreciation. But no matter how you feel about it, everybody does.

Ok, confession time; I'm an 18 year old straight male who has never been in a proper relationship. However, let's get something straight; that doesn't mean I've never loved. I'm gonna kinda let it all out here, so I apologise in advance. Stay tuned, I'll post some witty and completely-mind-numbing crap afterwards if you're not into this sort of stuff... which, in all honesty, nobody probably is!

Love doesn't have to be between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. Or for that matter, between a girlfriend and a girlfriend, or a boyfriend and a boyfriend. Love is not exclusive, it doesn't judge. Love can be the bond you share between you and your friends. It can be the affection towards the new puppy you've got, or the joy that is brought by bringing new life into the world. It is a bond that is not broken easily, and will hopefully "stand the test of time". (hello cliche). But to simply love is one thing. To be in love is another.

For me, to be IN love is the best thing in the world. It changes you, the way you live your life, the way you view the world. It changes the way you interract with people, how you perceive situations, how you go about your day-to-day activities. It's pumping up the music and singing like a maniac and not caring who hears. It's skipping down the road like a tool and not giving a damn who is watching you. It's not caring what anybody else thinks about you, because you know you are happy. It is, quite easily, the best thing in the world. Unfortunately, it can also be the hardest thing, because unrequited love is one of the hardest things to deal with. And I'm not talking about crushing on a celebrity, I'm talking about the real deal.

Another question that always comes up when discussing this topic, is the theme of "friends"... Do the best relationships come from being close friends? Or is it known straight away when you meet someone that it's going to be more than just friends? I guess this is also referred to as "love at first sight". Either way, I'm not going to make that choice for you, because everyone is different. All I will say, however; the person you are with, are they not your best friend? I mean, you (usually) plan on spending the rest of your life with them, or at least for the foreseeable future... So does this mean that a relationship works best when it comes from friendships? Or, is it best to keep your friends seperate? ... That's one that has killed me for a while. The thing is... more often than not, we can't choose who we fall in love with. You can avoid it all you like, but those feelings will always be there. That is sometimes what hurts most, because we love those we know we shouldn't.

So, love is this amazing, overwhelming feeling that changes you; a powerful thing, but as I kind of eluded to earlier, it's not always the best thing either. It can tear you apart, so badly that it feels like somebody has ripped your heart out and torn it in two. So it's kind of a catch twenty-two. If we don't love, we won't feel the amazing warmth that it can encompass us within... If we do, we risk feeling the greatest hurt in the world... For me, that risk is worth it all. And even if, at the end of the day, I was left heartbroken, I guarantee you, I'd go back and do it all again, because one of the worst feelings - often associated with love - is the big question; "what if?"

I know for me, at such a young age, that question frustrates me every single night. Without fail. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and so really, I shouldn't be asking myself this question. But I always do. I don't have regrets in life; why bother? Everything that happens has shaped us to be the person we are today. And we must accept that. You can everything in your power to change things, except the one thing you can never change is your past, so you might as well accept it. But just because we try to accept it, doesn't stop these questions plagueing our mindset.

I guess what I'm trying to say, out of all this, is that you can't leave things to chance. You have to go out and have a go, challenge everything, because you never know unless you try. I feel somewhat hypocritical saying this, but if I had someone to tell me to go for it at certain times in my life... well, maybe I'd be talking with more experience. All I can really say, is try to build up the confidence you need to voice your feelings. Everybody wants to be loved, whether they admit it or not, and you never know if your feelings are returned unless you actively find out. So go out and try, because you don't want that damn question keeping you awake at night

Trust me, I know.

First thoughts...

In all honesty, I'll probably forget all about this in time, but for now, I thought I'd kick things off with a few of my random thoughts...

Firstly... why do they call Donkey Kong... well... Donkey Kong?? Now I'm no anthropological expert (or monkey expert, which is probably more appropriate, since we're not talking about humans. I just wanted to start off by using big words to impress you. All 2 of you), but he seems more of a monkey sort of creature, rather than a donkey... I mean, he doesn't exactly have a "long face", and I'm pretty sure he has opposable thumbs, as opposed to hoofs... So why not call him "Monkey Kong"? For something that has become so much a part of our day to day life (for those of us that commonly refer to the saying "it's on like Donkey Kong" ... ok, yeah, so there aren't many of us) I feel we have somewhat overlooked the origin of the tale. Was the true meaning somewhat lost in translation? Or was there seriously just a lapse in judgement when it was named?

Either way, I don't think it will really affect us when we want to carve up the Mario Kart course with a big hairy dude who can run over measly little opponents (unless you're using Baby Mario with the Bullet Bike. Then it is ON like Donkey Kong!) But it's worth thinking about... Ok, yeah, it isn't...

Now on to more important matters... the flavour of our beloved savoury snacks.

I realise I'm not really a connoisseur of the crisp variety (or of anything really), but can somebody please explain to me the reasoning behind the flavourings for our delectable treats? I think my main concern lies therein with the name "Barbecue" ... Now, clearly, I myself have never tasted a barbecue, but I assume it would taste something like a combination of steel, charcoal and old grease... Probably not the tastiest of things, I would imagine. But if that is the case, then why do these companies insist on calling their product such a name?

Admittedly, I have brought up this argument before, and the only tangible answer that can somewhat carry SOME legitimacy to it has been that the flavour is based on what is cooked ON the barbecue, not the barbecue itself. Mmmmmkay, I can see how you might come to that conclusion... my follow up question; what exactly have you EVER cooked on a barbecue that tastes even remotely like that of this chip? ... it is here that I generally draw that silence that is one pondering their own thoughts, and henceforth doubting their own argument.

Other flavours that I also argue against include Chicken and Original. Now I can't say I've tasted any (cooked) chicken, or stock, even egg, or any other chicken-related product that tastes remotely like that of the chicken flavouring smothered on these chips. And as far as Original goes... this is the most common, and clearly the most vague. "Original ..." what? I believe each of these products that claims the title "Original" is basically saying "well, this is the foundation for each of our other products... it's kinda got some salt on it... ummm, yeahhhhh". That, to me, is what these products are saying to us as consumers.

Please, don't get me wrong, I'm not all about carrying on and complaining about products (although believe me, I am the kind of guy who sits there and rips adverts to shreds, and picks out totally unrealistic parts of movies and complains loudly... sorry about that), because I have many different dimensions; which, if I keep going with this, you'll see eventually.

A wise man once told me (and many other people), that us, as a society, should not simply "accept" things as they are, but to question everything. At the time, I was like "yeah, that sounds cool", but I have recently realised just how much I have done this since this advice was passed down to me. And it's not neccesarily a bad thing... I don't think so, anyway. Why shouldn't we question the way our world works, and all the tiny parts that make it up? How else is it going to improve? If it weren't for people constantly challenging the way things are right now, we wouldn't be sitting in our comfy arm chairs, cooling off under the air conditioner in the raging heat, networking socially, listening to our iPods, and, most importantly, I wouldn't be able to express my wild meanderings, and you wouldn't be reading them right now.

In all honesty, I really don't expect anybody, at all, to have read this in it's entirety... or at all... Realistically, I think I'm just the kind of person who feels he needs to express himself, otherwise I'll explode with all these random thoughts just whizzing in and out of my head. (and according to most of my "friends", there's a lot of room up there). So, if you have made it this far, thank you :) You can spread the word if you like... I'm sure I'll have plenty of witty people coming up with arguments against my opinions, which is fine. You know why? Because it means you aren't accepting my thoughts, you're challenging them, which is the point of all this anyway :)

Until next time kiddos; take care, and Live. Laugh. Love.