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peace-coast-island · 7 years

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#ChoicesCreates28: Choices Crossover

Title: Eshajōri (#LoveHacks) - Part 2 Summary: Eshajōri - “people meet, always part”; the concept that expresses the idea about the impermanence of all things, that every human relationship will end someday due to the transient nature of life. Part 2 of Julie’s article where she interviews various people she met around the world. Featuring MCs from TRR and THoBM and other OCs from HSS and HWU. (Part one)

Prompt: Talk about someone who is special to you. But not just anyone, it has to be someone who isn’t really a part of your life anymore. Think about this person and why they left an impact on you.

Enid Zuberi

About her: Hi, I’m Enid and I’m from New York. Currently in Cordonia and there’s a lot of things going on so I’m just here for the ride. I don’t know what to expect but at this point I’m prepared for almost anything that comes my way.

Her story: One person who meant a lot to me, and still does, is my best friend Ollie. We’re still close but he’s busy with is life while I’m busy with mine so we don’t really hang out as much anymore. We also had another friend, Sera, who passed away a few years back. The three of us were inseparable and I couldn’t have asked for better friends than these two.

I’ve known Ollie since we were little kids. He’s kind of like my little brother and I still kind of treat him like one and although he won’t admit it I think he kinda likes it when I fuss over him. We’re from completely different backgrounds as he comes from a wealthy family while I came from a middle class family. Since his parents usually leave him with the housekeepers, he’s usually at my place or Sera’s. My parents treated him like a son and did more for him than his actual parents, no offense to them, just stating the truth. Though I’m happy to say Ollie is civil with his parents, which isn’t much but it’s better than nothing.

In college we started sort of doing our own thing as I stayed close to home, Sera went to Eagle U in Eden Villa, and Ollie went to Harvard. Doing the summer we’d go to our special place, so we’d bring out a boat, go sailing until we get there and set up a picnic. But after Sera died, it was hard for me and Ollie to go back there because of the memories. We did eventually but it’s been a few years since then.

Anyway, Ollie and I are kind of in our own world. He’s busy with his family’s law firm and I’m out here. I’ve been texting him a lot since I came to Cordonia to keep him updated on everything. He’s been really supportive and I wouldn’t know what I’d do without him. Since this trip was kind of last minute, we were bummed that we didn’t have time to say goodbye and stuff. I really miss him and once I get back home, however long that takes, I’m gonna make plans for us to hang out more.

Finn Dobrev

About him: Hey my name’s Finn and I’m kinda new here. I just became an actor thanks to my pal Lauren, you might know her, she’s um… well she’s nice once you get to know her. My home is at Bubblerum, which is like in the middle of nowhere so like no one has heard of it.

His story: So I grew up with my brother Cloud, who’s a ghost. No, he wasn’t alive before, he’s part of this species of ghosts who are just…ghosts. I don’t think I explained that well. He’s um…a standalone ghost I guess. Anyway I grew up with him and our mother, who adopted us, which is how we met. We were like two peas in a pod because we were different. His species is endangered and I’m not like completely human. Seriously, look, my limbs are cyborg parts and also I can time travel. You want proof about time travel? I can show you!

(What happened behind the scenes, aka someone had to spend a few extra hours editing this since she had to cut a lot of stuff out while trying to make sense of this mess…

Finn: You want proof about time travel? I can show you!

Julie: Um…is that safe?

Finn: Sure it is! What’s the worst that could happen?

Julie: A lot of things, actually.

Finn: Don’t worry, I won’t pull you through a time loop, this will only take you a few years back.

Julie: Wait a minute. What do you mean time loop? And this is just an interview You don’t have to - and you’re gonna do it anyway…

Time travel stuff happens. Surprisingly nothing is destroyed and everything is back to normal.

Finn: How’s that for the article?

Julie: Yeah I’m afraid i’m gonna have to cut that out.

Finn: Well the time travel is actually relevant to my story. And the time loop thing. It’s actually a very long story…

He wasn’t kidding)

So about the time loop thing. Cloud and I accidentally released this evil spirit which attacked this island where I found my bio mom and my sister, who I never knew because we were separated a long time ago, and that’s another story so I’m gonna skip that part. Anyway evil spirit destroyed the island several times. So Cloud and I decided to be heroes, well we kind of are back in Bubblerum and I should really get back to the main story.

Okay so Cloud and I locked the island in a time loop because if we didn’t the whole island would be dead and i wouldn’t be here talking to you. By doing that we went back in time several days before the attack so we could have another chance at defeating the evil spirit. And if we all get killed, the timeline resets so we can try again. Except it took like bajillion tries and for a while it seemed like no matter what we did it was hopeless and we kept dying horrible deaths. Time travel is pretty complicated, especially when you remember everything that didn’t happen.

And guess who broke the time loop and freed us from all these horrible deaths? It was Cloud, who sacrificed himself to destroy the evil spirit at the cost of his own life. By then it was like our final chance because you can only do so many do-overs so it was a lot of pressure. Cloud was a brave guy, the only one who has stuck with me for so long, so now it feels kinda weird without him. At least he died a hero, just like he always wanted. Google “Cloud the ghost fights evil spirit” if you want to know more about it, but ignore the articles by DailyTango because they never get their facts right, including our names.

Aminta Beaumont

About her: I’m Aminta, I live in Evergreen Oaks and I’m currently taking a gap year. I’m a student at Hartford majoring in finance with a minor in psychology and I hope to run my own accounting firm one day.

Her story: About a year ago I was going through a rough time in my life. And then I met Eleanor, who helped me open my eyes and face my problems. Although we only knew each other for a short time, our lives weren’t the same after that. It’s one of those little things that may not seem obvious but it ends up leaving something big.

When I first met Eleanor, I was lost and scared. I was haunted by my brother’s death and it was difficult. Eleanor was going through a rough time too as she went through a lot and goes to great lengths to take care of her siblings. The fact that we both were dragged down by our pasts brought us together.

For a while I stayed with Eleanor and became a caretaker for her siblings Clarissa, Thomas, and Simon. It took a while for them to warm up to me, can’t blame them though since I was a complete stranger who suddenly appeared, but soon it was like I was part of their family. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I didn’t feel like I was being weighed down or held back. But at the same time I knew that I was supposed to be looking for answers and for a way to put my past behind.

Confronting my demons wasn’t easy but I knew that I couldn’t keep running away. Eleanor was the type of person who was selfless, always giving and willing to protect her siblings no matter what. That’s another thing we had in common, wanting to protect our families because the truth was too painful. So we take that truth and carry it ourselves, shouldering the burden so no one else would. We had good intentions but even that can do more harm than good. Once we opened up, the burden fell away.

After that we went our separate ways. I didn’t know her for long but at the same time it felt like we spend a lifetime together. I wish we had more time together but it was time for us to start living again and our paths just don’t cross. I still think about her and the kids from time to time, wondering how they’re doing now. Maybe one day our paths will cross again but for now I hope she’s happy and at peace.

Viktor Maksimov

About him: My name’s Viktor, I’m from Moscow and staying with my aunt in Peace Coast Island. I’m an athlete, which is another reason why I’m here and I like to do gymnastics, sing, dance, and skate.

His story: My mother was my number one supporter. She encouraged me to work hard, do my best, go for the gold, all that motivating stuff. I’m a competitive athlete so I travel a lot, and no matter what, my mom was always there. We come from a family of competitive athletes, my mother and my aunt were dancers. Mom retired after getting married and later became a dance instructor. You might have heard of my aunt, Anna Nikolaev, the one who was on that show Cooking Competitor. So, yeah, we’re a pretty athletic family.

It’s been over a year since the worst day of my life, and that was Mom’s death. She went to watch my aunt perform at Nationals while the rest of us watched the competition through a livestream. On the way back to the hotel they got into a bad car accident that involved two other cars. Mom didn’t make it, Anna and her dance instructor were badly injured. It was a difficult time knowing that Mom was gone and Anna’s life was hanging by a thread.

I think it was Mom who helped me through that difficult time. Or at least her memory. It’s not easy being a competitive athlete and there were times when I wanted to quit because the pressure was too much. Mom was the one who helped me when I felt that way. She taught me how to confront my fears. That it was okay to be scared and unsure. That even when things don’t go well, in the end everything will work out. She also taught me how to deal with stress like through meditation and mindfulness. The first few months without her were tough but by remembering what she taught, I somehow managed to pull through.

So Mom, wherever you are, I hope I can make you proud. You’ve done so much for me and I want to return the favor.

Sapphire Landry

About her: Name’s Sapphire. I live in Peace Coast Island with my besties Spencer and Steven. I like to sing and dance and I have a big sweet tooth. Trilingual, blind right eye, lazy, musically inclined, fashionista, sassy, I think you get my personality.

Her story: A long time ago, okay so not that long ago, I had a partner in crime. Her name was Lizzie and she was my BFF. As you can tell from the fact that I used past tense, she is sadly no longer with us. I still find it hard to believe.

This actually happened a long time ago, four years, when our lives changed forever. By accident Lizzie and I became time travelers. No, seriously we were doing a project, accidentally knocked something over, stuff exploded, we woke up in a hospital and bam! time travel. I’d show you but my powers are kind of unstable but it’s been a while so maybe it’ll be okay. Here I go…

(Julie: That won’t be necessary, thank you. So I’m guessing time travel is relevant to the story?

Sapphire: Yeah, probably bad idea… Besides my powers are kinda inactive, not since the illness but that’s another thing but it’s also kinda relevant…)

So we become time travelers but because of how we got our powers it means that we’re unpredictable. But no worries, we went along with this time travel scientist and her son Spencer who was our classmate so we got things under control. Well most of the time. The four of us were a great team!

Then last year, things went downhill. We lost half the team so Spencer and I were left. His mother took us to a clinic, can’t remember too much about it, but there was some mystery illness causing an epidemic. No one knew how bad it was until it was too late. We were visiting Spencer’s father, who’s a huge jerk by the way, and then we all got sick. There was nothing the doctors could do and Lizzie died. I never even got to say goodbye.

Lizzie was more than a best friend, she was a sister. I practically lived with her, in fact I tried but ended up getting in trouble. We were always attached by the hip, maybe sometimes a bit too close. She was the one who kept me out of trouble even though we ended up in it anyway. She always knew what to do when things got chaotic. Hell, I even miss the things I don’t like about her like when she nags about things or go all snarky when she’s mad. She was one of a kind.

Losing her was like losing a huge part of me. We were always known as Lizzie and Sapphy. Now it’s just Sapphy. I’m still not used to it but I’m trying.

You know, maybe it’s a good thing Lizzie isn’t here right now because if she heard what I just said about her and being all mushy and stuff I bet she’ll make fun of me for it!

Owen Rahajaro

About him: I’m Owen and I’m a student at Hollywood U and a regular performer at Starlight Theater. I like to sing, act, dance, and perform stunts. Starlight has been my home for over seven years and I recommend if you have the time, stop by and watch a show.

His story: Growing up I was raised by my father, who was a traveling musician. He’d visit many places, playing his sitar. I was surrounded by music so obviously my life revolved around that. We didn’t have much except for each other, and music, of course and that was more than enough.

Dad passed away when I was nine after being ill for months. By then we settled in London where he became a teacher. His health had been slowly declining by then, which is why he decided to stop traveling. I didn’t find out about that until much later, after he died. I remember pacing around the hospital, not fully understanding what was going on expect that my father was very sick. Never in my life had I felt so scared.

It’s still painful to talk about his final weeks. Seeing my lively and outgoing father lying in a hospital bed with tubes and wires attached to him, is something that will always be hard to think about. But I didn’t want his last memories to see his son sad and scared so I did my best to make him happy. Because if he was happy, then so was I. He did a lot for me and now that he wasn’t going to be here for much longer scared him. I made a promise to him and to myself that I would be strong and I’m still keeping to my word.

One thing I remember about my dad’s final weeks was how much he talked about my mother. She died when I was a baby so all I have is pictures of her and stories dad told me about her. During long nights at the hospital, he told me about her, things that you don’t hear in stories. Like how she started the day by opening the curtains wide open to bring in the sunlight or that she was a perfectionist who would spend hours banging on piano keys writing a song and driving her neighbors crazy in the process. It was then I realized that soon he won’t be here anymore.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that he’s been gone for almost fourteen years. There are days when I can remember him clearly and days when I struggle to remember. He was a big part of my life and I miss him every day. I bet he’s happy up there with mom.

#ChoicesCreates #choicescreates28 #choices stories you play #playchoices #LoveHacks #the royal romance #the haunting of braidwood manor #headcanon ramble #so this is a continuation of my previous entry for the travel prompt #since i didn't have time to include my trr and thobm mcs #also julie put a lot of work into this article so like she interiewed what like 12 people that's a lot of work #so finn and owen from hwu and viktor and sapphire from hss #i have like this whole plot things about sapphire called friends in time you can search it on my blog #also finn has a long ass bio which is in my drafts that goes in depth about his story #julie just got the short version though she had to like edit a lot of it because the way finn explained it was confusing #like he gets sidetracked super easily #Julie Nagarkar #Enid Zuberi #Finn Dobrev #Aminta Beaumont #Viktor Maksimov #Sapphire Landry #Owen Rahajaro

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gravitascivics · 7 years

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AN EARLY HERO: TOCQUEVILLE

“I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” – Casablanca (film, 1942)

With this posting, the favored construct this blog is dedicated to promoting is introduced. Naturally, the blog has described and explained this construct in various ways. But the writer feels it is time to again review its basic elements. He has named this construct federation theory or federation pedagogy, and makes the claim that an earlier version of this construct served as the dominant political perspective of Americans over most of this nation’s history.

This review will begin with an account of that earlier version, traditional federalism, and describes how it views good citizenship. This posting will describe the political culture that was inspired by and, in turn, supported this political construct. This will lead, in subsequent postings, into describing its role in the development of the nation’s constitutional mindset.

It lost its dominance in the years following World War II. This review will provide, in no order, answers to the three organizing questions that are applied to the two constructs already described: what is the construct’s view of morality; what is the construct’s view of government and politics; and what is the construct’s view of its role in promoting the common good?

Traditional federalism is of course a version of federalism. But federalism here is not portrayed as it is usually described: a structural arrangement among governments that ban together and form a central government. Instead, it is primarily described and explained as one of various ways of attaining civic humanism (a term to be defined in subsequent postings, but having to do with a collaborative citizenry). In short, it is a view of governance that furthers a polity being federated among its members.

It is through a striving for a civic humanism that the construct aims at establishing, supporting, and maintaining social capital. A sense of what civic humanism is can be derived from an account of early American life. One, in reviewing the natural rights construct, senses a bias against history; in fact, many consider positivist study, its main methodology, to be ahistorical.

Not so with federation theory; it embraces history. Historically, then, trying to gauge what traditional federalism holds as moral can be sensed by seeing how Americans interacted in the 1830s. Here, an extended citation is offered from a book written by the French political writer, Alexis de Tocqueville.

The citation reads as follows:

It is not impossible to form an imaginary picture of the surpassing liberty which the Americans enjoy; some idea may likewise be formed of the extreme equality which subsists amongst them. But the political activity which pervades the United States must be seen in order to be understood. No sooner do you set foot upon the American soil than you are stunned by a kind of tumult; a confused clamour is heard on every side; and a thousand simultaneous voices demand the immediate satisfaction of their social wants. Everything is in motion around you; here, the people of one quarter of a town are met to decide upon the building of a church; there, the election of a representative is going on; a little further, the delegates of a district are traveling in a hurry to the town in order to consult upon some local improvements; or in another place the labourers of a village quit their ploughs to deliberate upon the project of a road or a public school. Meetings are called for the sole purpose of declaring their disapprobation of the line of conduct pursued by the Government, whilst in other assemblies the citizens salute the authorities of the day as the fathers of their country. Societies are formed which regard drunkenness as the principal cause of the evils under which the State labours, and which solemnly bind themselves to give a constant example of temperance.

The great political agitation of the American legislative bodies, which is the only kind of excitement that attracts the attention of foreign countries, is a mere episode or a sort of continuation of that universal movement which originates in the lowest classes of the people and extends successively to all ranks of society. It is impossible to spend more efforts in the pursuit of enjoyment.

The cares of political life engross a most prominent place in the occupation of a citizen in the United States, and almost the only pleasure of which an American has any idea is to take part in the Government, and to discuss the part he has taken. This feeling pervades the most trifling habits of life; even the women frequently attend public meetings, and listen to political harangues as a recreation after their household labours. Debating clubs are to a certain extent a substitute for theatrical entertainments. An American cannot converse, but he can discuss; and when he attempts to talk he falls into a dissertation. He speaks to you as if he was addressing a meeting; and if he should chance to warm in the course of the discussion, he will infallibly say “Gentlemen,” to the person with whom he is conversing.[1]

To this writer, this cited passage gives the best description he has ever read of a people politically engaged in the affairs of their communities. It portrays a sense of citizenship civics teachers should value and strive to instill in their students.

How accurate is this account? Tocqueville was a respected professional political writer of his time. He wrote several famous works. His account does not exactly mirror the descriptions of Mark Twain, for example, in Huckleberry Finn,[2] but whether Tocqueville is accurate or not, the description above can serve as an ideal – maybe one this nation will never achieve, but one for which it can strive.

The political activity described in the above citation is what this writer has heard the educator, John Patrick, call “hard democracy.” It surely would not generally describe American discourse today, whether one is referring to how Americans discuss local or national issues. As such, the description can serve as an ideal.

Why hold this portrait of Americana as an ideal? If one harkens to the notion of social capital – a concept offered by Robert Putnam[3] – the interactions described in the 1830s have some very worthwhile characteristics.

These include concern for the common good, willingness to participate in and even enjoy the political processes involved in collective endeavors, and be prideful, even perhaps a bit competitive, as each citizen fulfills his/her role in the democratic process. In addition, though tacit, one can sense a tolerance for those who hold opposing views.

If a person finds the above description appealing, then he/she will judge federation theory/pedagogy as an amenable construct to guide civics education. The question then becomes: how does the nation get there? How can it adopt such a perspective? A first step in answering that question is to gain a historical understanding of how this visionary image was functional in the development of this nation’s constitutional principles.

[1] Alexi de Tocqueville, “Political Structure of Democracy,” in Alexis de Tocqueville: On Democracy, Revolution, and Society, ed. John Stone and Stephen Mennell (Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press, 1980/1835), 78-101, 78-79.

[2] Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, (Westminster/London, GB: Penguin Classics, 2003/1885).

[3] Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2000.k

#alexis de tocqueville #civic humanism

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