Mermaids & Me

So it's been a while.
Yeah.
*rocks back and forth sheepishly*
You see, I could stand(sit) here and make jokes about how I was busy, or I could just say that I was too lazy. Which is true. >.>
I have another blog on Wordpress that's dedicated to book reviews. You can find it here.
So yes, that's that.
The last time I wrote a post on this blog, it was about I was a mermaid, and how people around me were reacting to it. I wrote that it was difficult for me at times to try to keep a straight face and be serious, with everyone around me laughing as I raised my hand and said, "I'm a mermaid." They just didn't seem to get it. They would say something along the lines of "Oh, you're a mermaid? I must be a werewolf!"
First: don't insult me. I'm not a werewolf fan, but I'm not knockin' anyone who does, 'kay? But don't compare us to werewolves.
Second, sometimes I can't tell if they're mocking me or being serious. O.o
My closest friends as school were the best at accepting that, though. I could say it to their faces and they wouldn't laugh. They didn't really agree with me entirely, but they didn't say anything negative about it. And that was pretty much the awesomest thing that they could have done–nothing. By not saying anything, it gave me more confidence to continue claiming this as public knowledge. :) Eventually, though, they accepted it whole-heartedly. I remember the turning point, it was fantastic.
It was raining that day, and there were puddles all over the place. I was standing under a ledge where the rain couldn't get to us with my closest friends, and we were talking when some kid ran by, splashing dirty, muddy rain water all over me. I stumbled backwards and started 'ew'-ing all over the place.(come on, I mean, who wouldn't?)
The first thing that my friend said(once they'd stopped laughing) was, "Y'know, for a mermaid, you sure are squeamish about some rainwater."
That made me more happy than she could possibly ever know. It meant that I had finally been seen a mermaid in their eyes. It meant that when they thought 'mermaid', their first thought was 'Maddie'. And that was the most gratifying feeling ever. Keep in mind that this is a couple months after I announced that I was a mermaid.
Now, my next worry was my old friends. My old friends back in California. I've known them all my life, and they're some of my dearest friends and most hated enemies(my school was weird). They could be my best friends or my worst enemies. They could be kind or they could be hateful. And that doesn't mean that this applies to all of them.
I wasn't sure what their reactions would be when I would go home and announce that I was a mermaid. I didn't want to be doing that again. I thought they'd judge me more than the friends here.
This, above, is what my original post said.
I deleted it.
I deleted it because it's not true anymore. I found that my friends didn't judge me, and that they've changed a lot, for the good or for the bad, I don't know–yet. But I do know that I can be as open as I fricking want to, because I'm a mermaid, and I'm not afraid to say it anymore.
This is more recent:
I met this girl at camp. Let's call her Ella. She was one of the greatest people I've ever met, and I hope that I'll see her again sometime. The camp was in France, building tree houses in the forest for three weeks. She was one of the only English speakers there, aside from me, my brother, two friends, and two brothers from Saudi Arabia. She lives across the globe.
Even though I only spent three weeks with her, I can't say I've ever had a better friend within that time. Within the first week, I think I could say that she was my best friend, and not just at camp. I've never connected with anyone like that–ever. She listened and she understood, and I've never been as open as I was with her as I've been with anyone else. I'm not a talking-feeling kind of person to begin with–that's why I'm a writer, I can say everything I feel, without actually saying it. But she was so awesome and she didn't cal me crazy, even though she'd only known me for a week.
I have another best friend back in Cali, and I love her to bits, I do. But we're different in many ways, and we both have very different views on, well, everything. But Ella and I were like puzzle pieces, the exact ones. She's just amazing, and I miss her everyday. We send emails occasionally, but she has a life(unlike me :P) so she doesn't really respond most of the time. And emails don't really do social interaction any justice.
Anyway, back to the point.
Ella was the first person to ever accept me as a mermaid so fast. She was just...ugh! I love her to death. When I said, "Did you know that I'm a mermaid?" her response was, "That's cool."
I took my toothbrush out of my mouth, rinsed it, and hugged her tight as I could. I just love her asdfghjkl ♥
And I can't forget another friend that's been wonderful to me the whole way through. Let's call her Annie. She is also a mermaid, and a very open one, at that. Even more so than me, and I admire her so much for it, though I know that if I tried to push myself, I wouldn't be so socially incompetent. :P
But anyway, I've never met Annie in person. I met her online, but I trust her completely. She first helped me realize who I was. I've always had a thing for water, and now, à grace d'Annie, I know what it is. :)
So that just about wraps up today's more-emotional-than-usual post, and hopefully I'll be doing this more often. 'Cause, you know, the last post was in June.
Heh.

Gay Marriage

I don't understand the people against gay marriage. I just don't understand them. I think that there are several reasons that people hate gays.
1) They are religious.
So what if this guy likes that guy? What does that have to do with you? And to all those parents who disown their sons and daughters because they're gay, what kind of parents are you? You're supposed to love your children no matter who the are.
2) They think gays are wrong.
What do you mean, wrong? Wrong how? Wrong for simply loving? No, you know what? THOSE people are wrong. They're wrong because they can't accept people for who they are.
3) They are homophobic.
Why are gays scary?! That's right; they're not. What's wrong with you homophobics? They're just people, like you and me. And if them being gay changes your view of them, well, then, that's YOUR problem, not theirs.
4) They think that the "children" are in danger.
Sigh. I just don't understand this. Very recently in Paris, there have been protests and parades against the legalization of gay marriage. They wave flags that have the silhouettes of a woman, a man, their daughter, and their son. They say that they're protesting against gay marriage for the sake of the children. What are they TALKING about? I'm not quite sure what they mean, but it sounds like they think, to be a family, you must have a man and a woman and their children. They're "worried" that the children will grow up deprived because they have two moms or two dads.
What does it matter? As long as the kid(s) is/are loved by their parents, it doesn't matter if they're gay or not.
Jesus, people need to grow up and get over it. Gays exist. Suck it up.
-Maddie the mermaid

Magical Creatures & Ignorant Humans

Magic.
That's it; just magic.
If I ask people what they think magic is, they usually just laugh in my face, and tell me magic doesn't exist.
1) Laughing in someone's face is rude.
2) Magic exists.
'Course, at this point, people are going to say, "Well, then show me some magic, then." To which I would say, "I DON'T HAVE ANY."
Then they would laugh again, and say, "If you can't prove it, it doesn't exist."
Oh, COME ON! If I had magic, I wouldn't be talking to people who do that. And of course I don't have magic; I was born into the wrong body, remember?
But just because I don't have magic, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I mean, think about this. There's the eternal question: if a tree falls in the woods and no one's around to hear it, does it still make noise?
Of course it makes noise! Just because no one was there, doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Same with magic. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that magic isn't in the air.
Magic is just too smart; they know what humans would do if proof was ever found of their existence. Humans are the most greedy, destructive race to ever walk this earth, and they know it. We're beyond selfish, and we only care about making ourselves rich and powerful. This is a general statement, of course. I've met a lot of kind, caring people that would to anything to help their fellow earthwalkers.
But all the people up there, in the high places where their opinions matter, don't care. We've all seen them in movies before. The dad who pays no attention to their children, only on getting richer and more successful. They end up tearing down something their kids love, like their school, or their favorite park. The kids end up hating their dad, and then he feels bad. The dad finds some way to make it up to them, like rebuildig their school. By then end of the movie, he's a better person, and a better dad, and everyone lives happily ever after.
But back to reality now.
There are actually people like that, but unlike the movie, they never change. They live for money, and then they die, leaving behind a legacy, a legacy of power and money.
NO.
Do you know what would happen if someone found proof of the existence of magic? Chaos. That's what.
The world would go on a magic craze, and everyone would be searching for more magic, because humans will never have enough. If someone caught a fairy, she'd be locked in a cage, forced to bow to humans' every whim. She'd be a government test, and probably be cut open for dissection.
Or a mermaid. She'd be in an aquarium for the rest of her life, and same goes for mermen. Humans are too eager to advance in the field of technology. Or rather, to find magic that will allow them to do that.
What makes us them think that anybody would help them after being kidnapped or almost dissected? Why would they think that any magical creature would willingly help them? They'd use them for their own personal gain.
And don't you think that if they wanted to expose magic, they'd have done it themselves? Why haven't they, you ask? Well, because they already know what would happen. They're far too smart for humans.
I, myself, would love to have magic in my life. To be able to use it, to wield it. I don't deny that I want magic more than anything. I'm human after all(sadly). But unlike most people, I'd rather have magic kept hidden from prying human eyes than be able to wield it myself.
Magical creatures included. I always promise myself that if/when I ever encounter a magical creature in danger of being discovered, I'll do everything I possibly can to help them.
My pledge: I swear to help any magical creature in danger of being discovered, and to do all I can to protect their secret. I will help them in any way I  possibly can.
Magic is special, and it deserves to be kept a secret.

-Maddie the mermaid

My Feet & This App

I've just figured out how the Blogger app works, and in typing this all on my phone. The keyboard is unbelievebly irritating.
So funny story. My mother bought this pair of brown leather Ecco boots, and she was like, "They're SO comfortable."
My mom and I have the same, painful flat feet, so she offered to let me wear her new shoes, to see if I liked it. And if it was comfortable, she'd buy another pair for me.
So this morning, I slipped on her new shoes and set off for school. They felt fine at first, but then my feet started hurting and there was a burning sensation on my heels. By the time I got to school, I was limping.
I took them off, halfway through math. I never really put them back on, and I basically just walked around barefoot on the streets of Paris carrying a pair if shoes.
I've gained two open blisters, a pus-filled blister, and a new callus. Wonderful.
And now I'm going to gymnastics, with my feet hurting like the Dickens.

-Maddie the mermaid

Hi, World. It's Maddie.

So, honestly, I don't know why I started this. I was just reading a bunch of different blogs lately, and figured, "Why not?"
I don't know what I'll write, or if anyone will ever read it, but oh, well. That's life, right?
At the moment, I'm supposed to be doing my homework, and studying for my final History test tomorrow, but instead I'm writing this. I don't really get stressed over my homework anymore. It's strange; somehow, I always get this feeling that it'll work itself out.
And it does. Usually.
Anyway, I've never had a blog before. I'm not quite sure what to do, so I guess I'll learn along the way.
There's an issue that's been bugging me lately.
What is "cliché"?
I know, I know. Cliché is princesses being swept of their feet by their Prince Charmings. Cliché is the good girl turned bad by the bad boy. Cliché is the bitches of your school always getting the hot guys.
You get the picture.
The point is, everyone thinks that clichés are harmless. Well, they're not. Why is it that the girls in these stories are shown as weird people? Or bitches?
Why aren't the Prince Charmings of the world being swept off their feet by Cinderella? Why don't we read stories about a good boy gone bad? Why does Cinderella need to wait for Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet?
Or rather, why are the "bitches" bitches? Maybe they're neglected at home, and they feel like they need to make up for it at school, trying to grab everyone's attention. I don't know. I'm not one(I hope not, at least.)
In fact, why stop at girls? Boys have bad reputations, too. The males of our species are portrayed as ignorant, arrogant, sexist assholes that only think about getting laid.
For the most part, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
At least, not the guys I know, anyway. But seriously, why do guys have to be the chivalrous one? Is there anything wrong with the girl being chivalrous?
Okay, I don't know where I'm going with this. My main point is, clichés are pretty much the same as stereotypes. And stereotypes are bad.
The word "stereotype" is basically a word that helps people categorize others into groups of people similar to them.
THIS. IS. WRONG.
You shouldn't categorize people, especially not because they seem 'similar' to other people you may or not know. Everybody is different, and if more people realized that, stereotypes wouldn't even exist.
Who says Americans are fat, lazy and stupid? Who says Asians get straight As? Who says Russians live off of vodka? And who the hell said that women aren't as smart as men?!?
One time, right before the week of my exams,  I was freaking out over studying with my friends. I remember I said something like, "Oh my God, I still have so much to study for!"
and one of my friends responded with, "Yeah, but you're asian! At least you don't have to study for math!"
I was like, what the hell?
On the outside, I just laughed it off, like, "Haha, yeah, right" but I was actually pretty offended. Like, I'm pretty much failing math!
And de plus, stereotyping is another form of bullying.
"Guys who take interest in clothing or cooking are gay."
"Blondes are dumb."
"All Arabs are terrorists."
"Men wear the pants in the family."
^To all this, I'm just like, screw you. Because no one deserves to be bullied.
I'm just super frustrated with how mean people can be.

-Maddie the Mermaid


(Edit: I take back some of what I said, specifically the part about clichés being stereotypes. I've learned a lot since I blogged that, and I'd like to change my statement. Yes, I acknowledge that clichés can be stereotypes, but mostly, clichés are a concept that people have taken a particular liking for, so it is overused again and again in different variations. Stereotypes, while amusing, are still generally offensive.)