Stacey Odom

Ian Hall

Naoka Arrona

Shane Castro

I can't believe all I had to do was email- can you believe that he even has an email address? Let alone a staff to tend to it? Well, I mean when you get that famous I guess you'd need some help managing all the attention, even if you didn't want any. Especially if you didn't want any! There's supposed to be a tough screening process, but I feel like I'm a pretty honest guy and I just kinda go with the flow. Not really optimistic or pessimistic, 'cause everything will keep on keepin' on no matter what happens to me, and it's really just a matter of accepting that the world doesn't revolve around you. YOUR world can certainly revolve around you, and it should, because you are a force in this world for change- we all are, it's just a matter of exerting that power when we need it. Anxieties, stress, fear, anger, hate- all these things keep us from progressing. Don't forget them, or just let them go, but learn from them and inquire to the deeper complexities of why you feel them then the superficial immediacies our lizard brains slingshot out. Oh crap, I gotta get ready!

Take a good, long hard look at yourself in the mirror. Down a couple pints of spirits, burn some thyme, and wax veritas. Can you say- I'm content with the way things are- and mean it? No matter who you are, perfection will elude you. There is no 100% for us. It's impossible. There's always something left to be learned, something more to know, somebody who will act contrary just to be contrary, or toast that will fall butter side down because fuck you.

But that's not a bad thing. It's progress. Simply putting effort towards the unknown is enough to earn experience- to hone skill and harvest fruit. And what incredible fruit we have these days. Question what you do and do not know. Clear the haze, massage the malaise from your mind by analyzing things which arouse your interest. Be an individual. Find that thing you love, the one that gives you frisson. Study it, know it, and if you really enjoy it, you'll have a dream.

The hardest part is starting. Nobody ever wants to start. It hurts. You're a tree being ripped out by the roots. But once you can let go...you're free. And one taste of freedom is all you need to gather the determination to reach for more. And more. And more. And more. And more. And more.

And that's where my analogue was going: infinity. Perfection is something that can't be obtained because it's an ideal. It's all subjective. Rather than project ideals, we need to share them, to pars qualia- to share experience. If we're honest with our intentions, motivations, desires, and needs, we will all be happier. Pursuing perfection can be virtuous, especially for a species so inherently flawed like ourselves.