Life just got real

There is an old bit of writing advice, of unknown origins, which states that you must "write what you know." I believed in that bit of advice and I wrote about the things I saw around me, but I’ve recently had to reconsider my writing point-of-view to include topics I never before consider interesting. What has caused this shift, you may ask? Well I think it has something to do with the fact that my Writing & Editing class might be reading this post at this very moment. That’s twenty-two individuals taking time out of their day to read what I have written. Not to mention my lecturer! So while I supress the urge to suck up to said lecturer by saying something supposedly profound I will also contemplate what this means for my blogging future.

 I’ve always made it clear that this blog was not going to be very politically-based nor would it deal with very serious topics, but since the start of this course I’ve begun to realize that maybe I had to consider moving this blog in a different direction. I’m here at Rhodes to learn, so I might as well dust off the cobwebs of my mind and get a fresh perspective. (How was that for cliqued writing, Journ 3s?) All jokes aside, expect tighter and brighter posts from me. Or a wider variety of topics, until I can narrow done the focus of my blog. Hopefully I might acutally have something to write about.  But as our W&E once said, “The Muse is a powerful thing. She could be anywhere. Even at the Rat.”

[No need to worry, I will still be doing fun reviews and wacky comments on the things in my life, so no need to run and find another blog to read. I’m still sticking to my roots. I also plan to blog more often if I can. I have dozens of posts stored up just waiting to be posted.]

I know, you know! (Psych review)

In-between the lines there’s a lot of obscurity/ I’m not inclined to resign to maturity/ If it’s all right/ then you’re all wrong/ Why bounce around to the same damn song?/

I know, you know, I’m not telling the truth/ I know, you know, they just don’t have any proof/ Twist the deception/ learn how to bend your worst inhabitations/ will PSYCH you out in the end!!

So this song has been stuck in my head for ages! I blame the TV show, Psych and it’s brilliant theme song.

Psych follows the life of Shawn Spencer, played by the hilarious and delicious James Roday, a young man whose constant tips to the police made him a suspect in many crimes. His father (Corbin Benson) had trained him to be a very observant and although he never officially became a detective he pretends to be a psych so that he can help the police solve crimes, with the help of his straight-as-an-arrow, reluctant pharmaceutical rep, best friend Burton “Gus” Guster, played by the talented and adorable Dulé Hill. Shawn sets up his own psychic detective agency and uses his unique skills to solve crimes, while at the same time pissing off Head police detective Carlton “Lassy” Lassitor and flirting with Junior Detective Juilet ‘O Hara.

Psych is kinda like a comedy version of the Mentalist. Not that I’ve even ever watched the Mentalist and since the Mentalist aired about a year after Psych it often gets mocked in the show for being a rip-off. 

The humour is not only quirky, but also so sharp and witty with a multitude of cult references from the 80’s, which is quite an ego-boost for me when I actually catch the reference. The usage of 80’s music also adds a special element to the show. Fun fact: Steve Franks, the creator of the show, wrote and performed the theme song for the show himself.

James Roday and Dulé Hill are both amazing actors and their on-screen chemistry helps to create TV’s greatest bro-mance. Masters of physical comedy both actors fully embrace their characters, thus making them more lovable. Shawn’s exaggerated “psychic” visions and Gus’ dramatic reactions to dead bodies are some of my favourite parts. The will-they won’t-they chemistry between Juliet and Shawn is insane for the first moment they shared a scene together. I haven’t seen further than season 5, but I hope it works out between them. (Fun Fact: James Roday (Shawn) and Maggie Dawson (Juliet) currently have an off-screen relationship.)

Confession time:  Even though James Roday and Dulé Hill are both dreamy I have a tiny crush on Timothy Omundson’s character Carlton Lassitor. With his badass nature, salt-and-pepper hair, skill with his…um…guns and deep blue eyes, which, as Shawn puts it, “women want to cannonball into” Lassy is the ultimate hard-core, alluring detective  Timothy Omundson is so prefect for the role and it’s ironic that such a serious character can have so many comedic aspects to him.  Maybe I have a thing for older men… (PS Sage Brocklebank as the naïve adorable McNab isn’t too bad either.)

Confession number two: Yes, I’m that nerdy kind of person who watches episodes of TV series with the commentary on. My love of acting and performance has also instilled a love for Behind-the-scene footage in me. Psych is known for having hilarious blooper footages,  comically called Psych-Outs, which usually involve James Roday and Dulé Hill breaking out into song. 

I would recommend checking Psych out.

Starting the year with a splash:

(Disclaimer: I know that I’m about two months late on this post, but life got in the way of blogging a bit. I think that this post is still relevant. Now that my Journ class has to blog I’m will try to blog more often.)

So at midnight on New Year’s Eve I found myself diving into the Bushman’s River fully clothed with a semi-broken foot. Then I was tackled into the water by an attractive, indie boy and both of us ended up landing on a pile of rocks. Needless to say this experience was a first. 

 At first I didn’t jump in with the rest; there were so many things telling me I shouldn’t. It was cold; I was embarrassed and scared and super worried about what other people would say, but after about a minute of watching my sister and my new friends splashing around I ran in too. I forgot my embarrassment and brushed off the judgement.

In his novel “Looking for Alaska” John Green mentions that the poet François Rabelais’ last words were “I got to seek a Great Perhaps.” For Miles Halter, the main character of Green’s novel, those words reflected his desire to experience life fully. I can relate to Miles in that sense and running into the river at the start of the New Year felt like my way of embracing my Great Perhaps. Perhaps 2013 would be different.

2013 is a new year. A fresh start. I know we all as that at the beginning of every year, but this year it feels different. 2012 was a challenging year, but with challenges comes lessons. I already presented you with a few of those lessons, but I learnt a lot more than those few lessons. I learnt a few hard lessons that I realize now I had to learn. I had to make those mistakes last year so that I wouldn’t repeat them again this year.  I’m also now aware that 2013 will not only be about joy, but also about personal growth. 2013 will be about running into the river at midnight, but it will also be about reading 15 plays in two weeks, giving my all in the work that I do, strengthen my relationships with people and about finding out who I am.

So 2013…Surprise me!