One of the hallmarks of the old Irish tradition is the fey queen. In the song, “The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby,” it directly names one of these fey queens, “Aoibheall from the grey rock comes, to wrap the world in thrall,” (Hughes and Campbell). She is referenced as being the queen of the fey of the north of Ireland. Though, not much more seems to be known about her. However, one of the most notable is the last High Queen of the fey, Una, who was said to have been married to High King Finvarra, who was renowned for his benevolence toward humans, she too was benevolent to human (Spirited Enterprise). However, the most notable thing about the fey queens is their relation to Celtic goddesses with them either being the goddess or somehow related to the goddess. This can be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s film “Hellboy and the Golden Army,” as King Balor, the one armed king of Elfland, was potentially married to a descendent of the Irish mother-goddess. However, the most notable of these connection comes from the Arthurian Legend in the form of Morgan le Fay of Morgan of the Fairies. She was typically seen as being a goddess and witch in earlier works, some stories having her being taught magic by Merlin the Magician, (Norako). It is also worth note that both Morgan le Fay and High Queen Una both relate to the Queen of the Emlphame.

She first appears in the traditional ballad of Northern England and Lower Scotland. However this is not the only place that the Queen of the Emlphame is references. In “The Miscellany of the Spalding Club, Volume 1”, she is seen as being a much more demonic figure. This is a very large difference from the Irish view of the fey, as they may be mischievous; they were never considered a force of darkness. It could be related to the dominating Christian view that was permitting throughout Europe, all magical beings being related to that of Satan and their war against the pagan cultures of the old world.

The most prevalent aspect of the fey stories is the taking of children, typically babies. In W.B. Yeats’ “The Stolen Child,” he directly makes references this act of the fey of taking children in his poem with the fey coming and taking the child to a better place. Though this is most likely, a way to explain away the death of a child, as children typically died very young. In this story, a changeling child that would die very soon of the taking would replace the child. The changeling child could either be an actual fey child or an older fey that was ready to die. Yeats was also writing this poem during a very turbulent time for the Irish with the British, protestant upper class coming in and taking away the Irish Catholics.

The Great Famine or Hunger that was leaving the Irish starving followed this, as what every they grow had to go to the British landowners as rent. In addition, if they could not make this, they were out on the street and would most likely dead. The other more deadly thing is that the children would dead in great numbers and thus many Irish parents would have to choice between their children, most likely feeding the boys and letting the girls die. This may seem cruel, but this was all done to get the boys to working age and help the family make ends-needs. The only other option they would have is to immigrate to American and hopefully find a better life. While all of this was happening, the Irish people were starting to steer the pot of revolution, seeing their American cousins having succeeded in their own attempts to overthrow the British yoke. The other way to look at this is to have the Irish and Ireland return to a simpler time, where the world did not seem so mad. He was also getting tired of the fighting, wanting it to stop and to find a better why out.

However, the image of the fey has changed as it has been taken into the modern world with things like fairy tales and later Disney. In the original verse of “Sleeping Beauty “or “Briar Rose,” the king only invited twelve of the thirteen fairies of his kingdom, as he only had twelve golden plates. This angered the thirteenth and she did curse the princess, “The princess shall prick herself with a distaff in her fifteenth year and she shall fall down dead” (Lucas, Crane and Edwardes). However, this curse is very similar to the Disney version of “Sleeping Beauty”, the original Brothers Grimm tale never given a name, and the reason for the curse is very much the same with Maleficent not been invited to the Christening of baby Princess Aurora and wanted revenge. However, most of the fairies in this story are good, as has become the common prevailing view of them; fairies in older medieval stories can be quite evil and are in league with the Devil. In one movie version, the thirteenth fairy is called the red fairy. This is true just by the fact the Maleficent in the Disney revision is known as the Dark Fairy and does in the movie draw on the forces of Hell. Even Tinker Bell, a mascot for Disney, in the movie “Peter Pan” is a little bit murderous towards Wendy and on many occasions tries to off her. However, the entire story of “Peter Pan” can be looked at through the lenses of fey lore with our titular character of Peter most likely having been taken by the fairies of Neverland and Tinker Bell’s motives seem to be to keep Peter. The original story of “Peter Pan” is also very messed up with Peter killing his Lost Boys when they want to grow up.

In Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the fairies medaling in the lives of mortals, turning people into donkeys and having people fall in love with the wrong person. However, the most notable line in the play is Puck’s speech, “If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended[…] Give me your hands, if we be friends, and robins shall restore amends.” It makes it appear that fairies are simply shadows that can simply be dismissed, should they have offended. The other thing is it being that fairies are nothing more than shadows, playing into their ability to be mischievous. However, not all of the Disney fairies are like this, the Blue Fairy from “Pinocchio” being quite a benevolent being similar to High King Finvarra and High Queen Una. She actively tries to help Pinocchio to become a real boy, by having Ginny Cricket help him. In addition, in the end, Pinocchio does learn and the Blue Fairy grants his wish to be a real boy.

The feys or fairies are a large part of the Irish identity, but have become a large part of the magic that exist. In the beginning, they were ways to explain away the natural world, being seen as Celtic goddesses. In addition, to explain the deaths of children to help with the grieving process, believe that they were in a better place. They then became a way to explain bad fortune on people throughout the Dark Ages, being lining back to the Devil and witchcraft. However, they then returned to being beings of nature, becoming metaphors for a similar past that the Irish people wanted to return to. In the modern world, they are both good and evil, as seen through the view of Disney.

Works Cited

The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby, my.montana.net/aliceflynn/gartan.html.

Mortensen, Anne. “If We Shadows Have Offended.” Puck Monologue If We Shadows Have Offended, www.bottletreeinc.com/puck_if_we_shadows.html.

“Robbins Library Digital Projects: Robbins Library Digital Projects.” Robbins Library Digital Projects | Robbins Library Digital Projects, d.lib.rochester.edu/.

“Spirited Enterprise.” Spirited Enterprise, www.spiritedenterprise.com/.

“The Stolen Child by W. B. Yeats — Poems | Academy of American Poets.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, poets.org/poem/stolen-child.

Taylor, Edgar, and Marian Edwardes. Grimms Fairy Tales. 1823.

However, the Jiang Shi is called the Chinese Hopping Vampire; it is more generally equated to zombies than vampires in the western world. This is directly seen with the decaying form and the lack of mobility, only being able to move through hopping, that the west typically attribute to zombies, at least old school zombies that come Haiti believes. In addition, does bring up the Jiang Shi’s other name of the hopping zombie. Similarly to the Haiti version of the undead, zombie, the Jiang Shi can be created through the use of magic (History.com Editors). However, unlike the zombie of Haiti, the Jiang Shi was not used for revenge or as slaves. This was typically done as a way to bring the dead back home, during the Qing Dynasty with many labors working so far from their ancestral homes. To accomplish this task the family, in many cases having very little, would hire someone, most likely a Taoist priest, to perform the ritual and bring the body back home. The reason for the hoping and outstretched arms, besides the onset of rigor mortis, was that the body would be tied to a stick or piece of bamboo. Those viewing this would most likely be shocked and frightened by this, as they would see the corpse seeming to move due to the bouncing of the bamboo (Mingren). However, in other cases the family would also pay a corpse-driver, who would use necromancy (All About History Team). In both cases however, the dead would only be transported during the night, as a way to slow the decay. This does also give credence to the belief of the Jiang Shi being a creature of the night, typically hiding during the day and hunting at night.

This does draw back to the vampiric concept of the Jiang Shi, as vampires in the modern continuousness are the lord of the night. This not being dissimilar to the image portrayed in such works as Bran Stoker’s “Dracula.” However, Stoker’s Dracula can go out during the daytime, but is weaker. This is not the only similarity that the Jiang Shi have to their western vampiric brethren, both creatures consuming something that is highly vital to life. For the western vampire it is blood, but for the Jiang Shi it is chi or qi, the life force (Sutherland). The act of the Jiang Shi doing this can be due to a lack of a proper burial and typically go after the living members of the family that did not properly honor the dead relative. However, this can just be extended to any living being. The two also share a similarity in the way they choose to hide from the daylight, though the Jiang Shi will also hind in a dark cave, they both using a coffin. This coffin can be assumed to be the coffin to which the dead was buried in or being used to transport them back home. However, the Jiang Shì has also taken on many similar powers as their western counterpart, such as flying, this giving credence to the idea that the Jiang Shì did not develop completely isolated from the ideas of the Slavic Vampire. A side note is the Jiang Shi, like the western vampire, has also inspired many films in Hong Kong during the 1980s (Mingren). However, where the vampire can be stopped by the use of garlic or wooden stake to the heart, the Jiang Shi can be stopped in a number of ways.

One rather comedic way to stop a Jiang Shì is to simple push them over, it being believed that they will be unable to get back up on their own. This however does not seem to make much sense, if the Jiang Shi does have the power of flight. A more useful way to stop a Jiang Shì would be to hold a mirror to them, it being believed that they are frightened of their own reflection. This also differs from their western brethren with the western vampire not being able to appear in mirrors. It is also believed that using magic, as the Jiang Shi was created through the use of magic and it being in full following of the advice from Uncle in “Jackie Chan Adventures”, “Only magic can defeat magic.” This can be achieved by using a Taoist talisman could be used, sticking the talisman to the forehead of the Jiang Shi and immobilizing them. Another humorous way to stop the Jiang Shì could be dropping a bag of coins in front of them, thus forcing the Jiang Shì to stop and count the coins. Regardless, it is best to avoid the Jiang Shi.

The Jiang Shi is a terrifying creature and seems to be closer to the western view of the zombie than that of the vampire. However, there similarities with the western vampire cannot be disputed either, where it does seem that there is some influence of the west in the Jiang Shi’s powers. This seems to be very similar to how this creature was present in many other Asian countries folklore. Regardless of the view of this creature, it is best to avoid them.

Works Cited

AncientPages.com, and On This Day In History: King Alexander II Was Crowned At Scone. “Jiangshi — Terrifying Ancient Chinese Vampire In Disguise.” Ancient Pages, 21 Apr. 2018, www.ancientpages.com/2016/01/12/jiangshi-terrifying-ancient-chinese-vampire-in-disguise/.

“Chinese Vampire.” TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChineseVampire.

Dhwty. “The Living Dead: Chinese Hopping Vampires.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 8 June 2016, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/living-dead-chinese-hopping-vampires-006050.

History.com Editors. “Zombies.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-zombies.

Team, History. “Chinese Hopping Vampires: The Qing Dynasty Roots behind the Jiangshi Legend.” All About History, www.historyanswers.co.uk/people-politics/chinese-hopping-vampires-the-gruesome-origin-of-the-jiangshi-legend/.

It has been long believed that fantasy-play and pretend-play is beneficial to child development, there does not seem to be any evidence that correlates with this long held belief by most psychologists in a study out of the University of Virginia. It would contest that most of the previous test around this topic have been based on false methodology, claiming that the testers were bias from participating in adult direct pretend-play (Samarrai). This would seem to be the case in many schools and centers for children, as often they do engage in activities that are not geared necessarily for them. Most “highly engaging” activities tend to fall short of proper development, by being too high structured. These activities generally lead to an increase in the pitfalls that children will face, increasing the level of frustration and decreasing attention (Joseph L. Constantine). We also tend to lean towards having children act more like mini-adults rather than children, typically in the education and religious [Christianity] spheres. We deny them any creative outlet to express themselves (Ron Habermas). Paley appears to agree with this statement and making the remark, “Education is not geared towards imagination and children lead discussion, fearing discomfort,” (A Child’s Work). It is clear in these cases it is not the discomfort of the child that the adults are trying to avoid, but rather their own.

This also seems to spread to be how we deal with teaching children how to deal with their negative emotions and feelings, telling them that they are wrong and should not feel them. And in the case that we do allow them to express these feeling, we will quickly try to get them to walk away from them. Gerard Jones echoed this idea, recounting how his parents, who were both “well- meaning, progressive, English-teachers” taught him that violence and rage were both wrong and should not be felt. This led him to being very insecure and unsure how to deal with his emotions, until his mother allowed him to read a comic book. In her thinking it was going to teach lofty messages of benevolence, what it did was the contrary. It allowed Jones to have a vessel to express and explore the emotions and feelings he was told to regret and deny (G. Jones). This is what needs to happen, allowing children to have some way of expression and exploration for both the self and the world at large.

This leads to a very important aspect of fantasy-play, a vessel to express and explore both the inertial and the external. In the case of Jones, he created a fantasy self or an alter ego that he could use to experience the world that he was denied. Jones’ other self was based off of the Hulk, who spoke to him. This was for a number of reasons, though most notable was that the Hulk represented everything that Jones was taught to not be. Eventually, he would find others that were just like him and thus the alter ego fade away, as we then embrace the parts of us that are not socially acceptable. Though, this is a cycle that he saw within his own son, who created many alter egos to deal with growing up (G. Jones). Another way for children to do this is by having an imaginary friend, someone or thing that they can share experience with and learn to interact with the world at large. “65 per cent of children up to the age of 7 have had an imaginary friend […]” (Imaginary Friend). The imaginary friend does much the same thing as the alter ego or the fantasy self does, in some case the alter ego can be an imaginary friend that the child has given all of the traits that they are afraid to have. Or they take on the traits of a character that the child finds to be appealing for their needs at the time, much like Jones taking on a superhero (Imaginary Friend). Though, the key thing here is that these imaginary friends, fantasy selves, or alter egos do not hid the world we live in, rather they help children to understand it. Paley echoes this idea by stating, “Our fantasy characters become our confidants. They didn’t mask reality; they helped us interpret and explain our feelings about reality.” It is very easy for adults to try and hide the hurt and dangers of the world from children, thinking that they would not understand. But, that is not true, it seeming that children pick up on these things and lacking any adult to explain then rely on these imagining aspects to help them. Though, once a child reaches the age of 8 or 9, they do let go of the imaginary friend. This is mostly done because it is socially unacceptable or that they have made real friends. In some cases the child may perform some sort of ritual to mark the passing of their imaginary friend, most likely using a funeral as the most suitable method (Imaginary Friend). Also this can give a sense of normalcy to a child, especially going through a very traumatic time. It is also clear that children with imaginary friends have better cognitive abilities.

Though, it clear that children that have imaginary friends do have better cognitive abilities, this spreads to just fantasy-play in general. Paley, as all readied state, defines fantasy play as the glue that binds together all other pursuits, though most especially reading and writing (A Child’s Work). This would appear to be agreed on by any studies, though centered around children with imaginary friends, stating that “children who have imaginary friends appear to develop faster both psychologically and linguistically.” This thinking would appear to be supported by many studies, one stating children [4 to 8] produce more complex sentences than those of their peers. Imaginary friends seem to help children in their cognitive thinking, allowing them to enter into more complex head spaces (Imaginary Friend). Though, play also allows for this growth, creating a vehicle for them to experience and express a range of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional skills. It also allows them through stressful situations, giving them some sense of control. This can help lead them to identifying and implementing coping strategies in these high stress situations, as well as developing a stable self (M. Jones). This can play into helping children in situations, like a hospitalization, which can create a lot of stress for the child.

It’s especially important in a hospital setting, where the child is essentially cut off from anything that they would normally do in their day to day life. Everyone at some point has seen a commercial for a children’s hospital, like St. Jude, asking for money to help in their treatment. This at first may just seem to be for medical purpose, but it does so much. They go over how they help kids to be kids, that seeming to mean any number of things. But, what that really seems to mean is giving them a sense of normality, to just express themselves. Maile Jones states a way we can do this, “Invoking Erikson’s developmental stages, activities of industry, such as art and crafts, creative writing or computer programming, can help with emotional expression and regulation for children (Gold et al., 2014).” This can also help them to communicate needs to their caregivers, getting the appropriate help that they need. But, this can only be done, if the child is allowed the opportunity of this. This can be through any sort of creative outlet, so long as they have some way to express themselves (M. Jones). They could even participate in “creative violence,” which would allow them to express any frustrations they may have being in a high stress situation. Though, there are concerns around this, it has already been discussed, we tend to try to avoid allowing our children to experience and express negative anything. This is out of fear that they will be brutish and aggressive. Though, that is not the case, as this “creative violence” allows them to experience and understand rage, which can help them to better control it and use it to deal with difficult situations (G. Jones). Jones recounts the story of one girl [Emily], who was going through a very difficult growing pain. Her parents were divorced, she small, an only child, and was a tomboy, where other’s started to follow the gender roles acceptable by society. She would act out and write violent stories, the adults in her life trying to control and direct her in the other direction. This did not stop her, she pushed limits. Though, once she was allowed to express in an unfiltered way, learning to express her anger and fiery, she became a model for her fellow students (G. Jones). It’s clear that once Emily was allowed to express herself, she was fine. This is what needs to happen, allowing children to just express themselves in an unfiltered and uncensored way.

When you see a child talking to nothing or a group of children acting out a violent scene do not question it, it is only natural for them. Fantasy-play helps them to better understand both their internal self and the self that exist in the larger world around them, being able to learn how to express their needs and thoughts. But, it also helps them to get to a point of better understanding, being more cognitively ready and emotionally stable. It also helps them to develop a sense of self and builds up their abilities to deal with stressful situations, creating a sense of normality for them.

Work Cited

Constantine, Joseph L. “Integrating Thematic-Fantasy Play and Phonological Awareness Activities in a Speech-Language Preschool Environment.” Journal of Instructional Psychology, vol. 28, no. 1, 2001, p. 9. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A73535501/GPS?u=mlin_b_bunkhcc&sid=GPS&xid=0356b8e0. Accessed 29 Apr. 2019.

Samarrai, Fariss. “Pretend Play May Not Be as Crucial to Child Development as Believed, New Study Shows.” UVA Today, University of Virginia, 27 Aug. 2012, news.virginia.edu/content/pretend-play-may-not-be-crucial-child-development-believed-new-study-shows.

Habermas, Ron. “Does Peter Pan corrupt out children?” Christianity Today, 8 Mar. 1993, p. 30+. U.S. History in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A13541461/GPS?u=mlin_b_bunkhcc&sid=GPS&xid=e01694d9. Accessed 29 Apr. 2019.

“Imaginary friend.” New Scientist, 12 Aug. 2006, p. 52. Business Collection, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A149767449/GPS?u=mlin_b_bunkhcc&sid=GPS&xid=58663f04. Accessed 29 Apr. 2019.

Jones, Gerard, et al. “Violent Media Is Good for Kids.” Mother Jones, 28 June 2017, www.motherjones.com/politics/2000/06/violent-media-good-kids-0/.

Jones, Maile. “The Necessity of Play for Children in Health Care.” Pediatric Nursing, Nov.-Dec. 2018, p. 303+. Business Collection, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A568148327/GPS?u=mlin_b_bunkhcc&sid=GPS&xid=198ff185. Accessed 29 Apr. 2019.

Mohler, Suzie K. “A Child’s Work: the Importance of Fantasy Play.” Childhood Education, vol. 81, no. 3, 2005, p. 174. General OneFile, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A134311977/GPS?u=mlin_b_bunkhcc&sid=GPS&xid=2fbfa496. Accessed 29 Apr. 2019.

Recently I came across a news story from Channel 5’s 20/20 about an Uber driver that went on an eight hour killing spread, just shooting people for no apparent reason. Eight people were senselessly killed, the suspect claiming that the Uber and the Devil had taken control of him and caused him to do this. That is a very insane and concerning event, though this is just one more gun related killing spread in a long line that continues to plague this country. And though events like this will contribute to the ongoing battle for better gun control and regulations, it typically is dead on arrival to the floors of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Guns and the owning of guns have been an inertial part of this nation’s history, dating back to the very founding of this country. This was a way to keep us safe and independence from the rule of the English, it however must be questioned whether the Second Amendment still has a place in the modern world. In the article, “Gun Control Around the World: A Primer” by Jonathan Masters, he discusses gun control. Though, Masters does not just focus on the gun control in this country, but around the world and how they came to be. It also explains how these laws work and what kind of restrictions exist, as well as giving the opposition to these laws. Gun control is a serious issue, which had been dealt with by other countries, we need to question the usefulness of the Second Amendment in a modern world, there needs to be stricter background checks, and limiting or categorizing of guns.

Throughout the world many countries have had some level of gun related violence, which have always resulted in these countries’ governments taking action. It is shocking that the U.S. has actively avoided taking any action to curve this continue threat to the safety of the American public, regardless of the Second Amendment. As stated by Masters, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (2). There is no real reason to adhere so strictly to this part of the Constitution, as it must be questions whether it still has any really place in the modern America. It made sense at a time when we were just starting out and were very much under the threat of being re-conquered by the English, but what are we fighting against now. Most, if not all of this nation’s enemies are outside of our borders, the only answer is that we are fighting against ourselves. Yes, it is possible that our enemies could infiltrate this nation. But, isn’t that why we have all of those national security departments and agencies that we spend billions of dollars on a year, as a way to ensure that kind of thing does not happen. And even if some enemy force does manage to get into this country, it is not an invasion nor is there any real evidence that people with guns would stop anything. It is clear that as a nation we have a problem, which stems to an outdated part of the Constitution that no longer makes sense in a modern America.

There must be better background checks, to ensure that those who are unstable can get access to any weapons. It is not an insane line of thought that better background checks would limit the amount of guns within the general public, ensuring that those that are unstable cannot get a weapon. We do have on the books an act that does do this limiting of guns, which states “prohibited the sale of firearm to several categories of individuals…” (Masters). The 1968 law clearly outlines how best to keep the sale of firearms from getting into the hands of those that are not qualified to have a weapon. This law was then amended in 1993, “mandating background checks for all unlicensed persons purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed dealer” (Masters). It is shocking that these laws exist any yet no politician in Washington seems to want to continue to better theses laws in the interest of public safety. If the U.S. government would actually do their jobs and not fear losing the support of the NRA to their campaigns, then maybe we can actually get something done. It is also worth noting that anyone wishing to obtain a gun should prove a genuine reason for this ownership, though the answer cannot just be self dense.

Contractors would imply that what is being argued on gun control and regulations is unwarranted and unconstitutional, pointing to no real change being possible by these actions. As the advocates against gun control claim that there is no cause-and-effect in play, noting that “the rate of gun homicide and other gun crimes in the United States have dropped since highs in the early 1990s” (Masters). Though, it may be true that such reform would be difficult and there is no cause-and-effect in play that does not mean that we should not look at implanting better gun control to stop any further death and possibility of unstable persons gets their hands on guns, which could lead to more killing spreads and mass shootings. They would also say that the actions taken by other countries, such as the U.K. and Norway, to limit and take away guns have done very little to curve the onset of mass shootings. ‘“Those who are willing to break the laws against murder do not care about the regulations of firearms…” wrote Charles C.W. Cooke in the National Review’ (Masters). It is clear that those that are willing to commit any kind of crime will find a way; it is our first and only duty to ensure that we do not give them the means to accomplish this task.

Guns must be limited into categorizes and types to better the safety of the public. Other countries that have had severe gun related killings, have implemented ways to categorize and limit certain types of guns that should not be allowed to be used by the public. Typically this starts with limiting or completely prohibiting the automatic and semiautomatic weapons from being sold. In Canada there are classes of weapons “nonrestricted…restricted…and prohibited” (Masters). It is not that crazy to consider using how others countries are dealing with this issue, knowing that it would be helpful to limit what type of guns are even available to the general public. No one that is not in the military should even be able to get a military grade weapon; there is zero reason for this. In Israel, all military personnel are required to surrender their weapons upon discharge; that should be the same here.

Gun control has been an ongoing issue for the United States, which we truly need to sit down and change. It is never good, when a nation’s people are actively killing each other for really no good reason. Guns have being a very inertial part of keeping us from being re-conquered by a foreign power, though the Second Amendment is not necessarily still useful within a modern world. It is our duty and responsibility to stop this continued threat to the public safety, by limiting guns and classifying them. Imagine the lives that would still be here, if those that are not stable could not get their hands on a gun and gone on their senseless killing spreads. The 28 victims of Sandy Hook would still be here, the 20 children would now be starting middle school. Since that event another 1,973 mass shooting have happened, that we claimed to never happen again. It is time that this nation takes action on this unacceptable act.

Works Cited

Masters, Jonathan. “Gun Control Around the World: A Primer.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 13 Jan. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/01/worldwide-gun-control-policy/423711/.

People never seem to go after something or someone, because they are too afraid. This fear could be for many reasons; though generally it comes from how we preserve rejection. It can be separated into two categories of either a “fixed mindset” or a “growth mindset,” both of which are developed during our formative years. Lauren Howe explores this top in her Time article, “Why Some People are Hurt More by Break-Ups than Others,” going over how these two mindsets contribute to how we deal and view ourselves after a break-up. For someone with a “fixed mindset” they are unable to accept that a singular flaw does not define their entire personality, fearing that as they move forward this flaw will only lead them to more rejections and thus start fearing getting into new relationships. Though, those with a “growth mindset” do not see this singular flaw as fatal to them, rather a growing opportunity to better themselves. This is not to say that these are the only things that affect fear of getting into relationships, as we have to be open to letting someone else into our private world. In the podcast, “How to Become Batman,” Daniel Kish is freaked out by holding hands and has never been in a relationship. Now, for some people this may be very natural and normal, this possibly being true for Daniel, but it would make sense that he is afraid to get close to someone. He can do so many amazing things, though letting himself be vulnerable seems to be his greatest challenge. We have to be open to discomfort and possible rejection, even though we might be afraid.

Fear can be a very powerful motivator, generally take the place of rational, logical thinking. It can also be a very powerful tool for doing despicable acts of violence against our fellow man, as can be see with the NAZI’s rise in the 1930’s Germany and World War II. But, it has also been seen within the United States and gun control, the Extremist Conservative Right Wing saying that the Liberal Left Wing is coming to take away your guns. Though, that just is not the case, being nothing more than fear mongering and trying to make a boogie man out of nothing. The nation needs better gun regulations to ensure that the real boogie men do not go around shooting up schools and taking innocent lives, people too afraid to send their children to school not knowing that they will see their child again. This can also be seen with the places that have experienced a major disaster, people being very afraid that they may not see tomorrow and having to make very ethically hard decisions. This was the case with the events that transpired within the walls of Memorial Hospital, following Hurricane Katrina. The medical staff that was stationed at the hospital made a decision out of fear on the fourth day of being strand after the hurricane to euthanize patients that they deemed to have no chance of surviving, even though in flees in the face of medical ethics (30:20:30). Now some of the doctors and nurses may argue that it was a necessary action to take, ensure that the most people survive. But, it does not make sense after only the fourth day, there being no immediate problem with most of the patients in the greatest need having been evacuated on the first day. It is also worth note that it did seem to be chaotic outside the walls of the hospital with reports of sharks in the water and martial law having been declared, all of which proved to be false. A rational person should have been able to see that none of what was being said was true; it clears being fear that was at play. In the place of rational, logical thought, fear can easily take hold and make people act in unspeakable ways.

Though, fear is a natural defense to help us survive, in the modern world we need to stop pretending that fear is love. Many parents will understand this, as they try very hard to shield their children from the hardships of growing up. Though, this can cause them to lack the necessary self-confidence to face the world, leading to children that are underdeveloped in their emotions and may not even be able to form meaningful relationships. This idea is explored in the article, “Violent Media is Good for Kids,” explaining that if children are denied the ability to truly and fully express their whole range of emotions, they will most likely won’t be able to handle them further down the road. Though, it is understandable why parents try to protect their children; that is the number one job of being a parent. Though, what is more important is to let them go and grow and make mistakes, they are not going to have you forever. This is how Daniel Kish became the incurable person he is, despite being blind. His mother was unwilling to allow her son to be afraid of the world and bundled up, not seeing his blindness as an excuse for why he could not be like any other normal child (30:10:20). We cannot shield our children forever, so we must not be afraid to teach them and let them grow.

Fear can make people do things that they normally would not, for good or bad. Though, we should not be ruled by fear, we should also not think that fear is foolish. It had helped us survive for millions of years, keeping us from being wiped out. Though, as we continue moving forward, we must also think about how we let fear affect us, not letting in. It is important as we move through life that we do things that we fear, because it can only make you stronger in the end. If I had never told my crush that I liked him, I would still be haunted by a chance that got away.

Works Cited

Coben, Harlan. “The Undercover Parent.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Mar. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/opinion/16coben.html.

Rosin, Hanna and Spiegel, Alex, host. “How To Become Batman.” NPR, NPR, 23 Jan, 2015. www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/378577902/how-to-become-batman.

Jones, Gerard, et al. “Violent Media Is Good for Kids.” Mother Jones, 28 June 2017, www.motherjones.com/politics/2000/06/violent-media-good-kids-0/.

Masters, Jonathan. “Gun Control Around the World: A Primer.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 13 Jan. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/01/worldwide-gun-control-policy/423711/.

WNYC Studios, producing company. “Playing God | Radiolab.” WNYC Studios, 21 Aug, 2016. www.wnycstudios.org/story/playing-god.

The classical hero is the perfect hero. They are the representation of the good within a story and often will win over the evil that exist. This hero type is very common among the Greco-Roman myths, such as Achilles and Odysseus. Classical heroes are the panicle of everything that society values most: strength, loyalty, and intelligence. Thus, does make their stories quite boring and highly predictable to the reader. This hero type can be seen within the many other myths and religions of the world prior to the domination of the Abrahamic religions, like the Norse Epic of Beowulf. In more modern times this can be seen with characters like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, as explain by Joe Bunting’s article, “Harry Potter and the Three Types of Heroes.” Bunting in this article explains the three different hero types through the use of Rowling’s works of the boy wizard and three fan favorite characters fit into the three main hero types. In this particle case of the classical hero, Bunting using Harry himself. “Harry is a representation of all the best qualities in our society… The guy everyone knows will succeed,” (Bunting). Bunting shows us how Harry is the quintal central classical hero by being everything that society has deemed as good. He is the best at everything that he does and seems to have fate on his side, be given every advantage that is needed. This makes for boring storytelling, as there is not real challenge. We know that Harry is going to wind and thus we are merely reading (or watching) to know everything in the middle. This is a common hallmark of the classical hero type, the never being able to fail. The story by this nature, fails to maintain the audience with too many predictable outcomes that favor the hero. This is also why superheroes, such as the Superman, are falling out of favor with most readers. He is too perfect and has very little weakness that could cause serious damage. It made sense, when Superman was created, to make him like this. He filled a need within a society that desperately needed someone to look up to, the world being in a very bad place during the 30’s and needed the first superhero. This has led to, however, him and many superheroes of this time needing to be rebooted and brought to modern day standards. The classical hero for all its wonder, fails to be super relatable to people and requires a society that needs people that are larger than life.

The everyman hero archetype is the everyday person. They share all of our same imperfections, doubts, and fears, making them the most relatable of all the hero types. The everyman is clearly different from the classical hero, as they will not succeed at everything they do. That in some ways makes them more appealing to people, we are able seeing ourselves. It can make you ask, “If they can do it why not me?” The everyman hero is also flawed, like the antihero, though not to the more extreme. The everyman may make morally questionable decisions to get to their end goal, but are often more reluctant to do so. The everyman type also tends to regret the hero’s call and tries to avoid having to go the quest. This can be seen with characters like Frodo and his uncle, Bilbo, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit or Luke Skywalker for George Lucas’s space opera of Star Wars. It should been noted that Harry in the beginning seemed to fix the archetype of the everyman hero, as he was almost reluctant to go to this new and strange world of magic and wizards but untimely does. These characters do not want to leave everything they know for this journey, which they may not survive. It usually takes a dramatic event in the hero’s live to get them to go on the quest. This leads to what Joseph Campbell refers to as the threshold crossing, the moment that the hero steps outside everything they know and entries into the large universe. This is not unlike when we go from our formative years, elementary school and in some cases middle, to the puberty inducted years of high school into young adulthood. We begin to learn more about who we are and the world in which we live. We also start to take on the teaching of those that are our parents and teachers, as is seen with the everyman.

This second death for the everyman is the one of the mentor, the person the brought the hero into this strange new world, imparting two gifts to them: a weapon and a teaching or belief. Though, our own mentors may not give us a weapon to which defends ourselves, the teaching or belief they do give us. It is important that the mentor die (some cases just leaves) so that the hero can take in everything they have learned and say “I can do this without them and I will be fine.” It is also just a part of life that our parents die and our teachers die, so we have to be able to know we will be okay and continue on the journey. This idea is best summed up by Mr. Magorium, from Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, when he is speaking to Mahoney about his eventual death and that we have to accept that is not going to be easy, but have to continue and rise to. It is also worth note that Mahoney was very unsure of herself to take over for him and refused to accept that anyone but him could run the store. “Your life is an occasion. Rise to it,” (Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium). These words are simple and yet have so much meaning behind them for an everyman hero and for us, because we all share Mahoney’s doubts and fears and at some level must look pass these to reach where we are meant to be. “Courage is not the absence of fear… the brave may not live forever but the curious don’t live at all,” (Meg Cabot). The Princess Diaries also shows use this some reluctance and fear, which leads our main character of Mia to run away from her duties. Until, she realizes, through the help of her dead father, that she can do it. The everyman hero type in most cast will become a classical hero for they cannot resist the hero’s call like in the beginning of everything.

The antihero, who can also be known as the flawed hero, represents the very worst that can exist within our society, but is never demeaned a villain. This is because, for all of their evil deeds, they are often working for the side of good. They are in many ways the physical embodiment of the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In these hero’s type, we can often live out our darker desires. This is explored in an article from the Relevant magazine, The Rise of the Anti-Hero, written by Jonathan Michael. Michael attempts to explain to us, why it is that we like shows that revolve around the antihero archetype? This character shares many of the same flaws that we do, though often to the extreme, leading them to act in morally questionable ways. “The “anti-hero” (also known as the flawed hero) is a common character archetype for the antagonist that has been around since the comedies and tragedies of Greek theater… Other times, however, the moral flaws are simply moral flaws, like alcoholism, infidelity, or an uncontrollable and violent temper,” (Michael). Antiheroes, in Michael’s believe, are the most relatable type of hero. It is important to realize that they often have the greatest story arch, as they are able to step out of the preconceived idea of what they are. The antihero type will never become the classical or even the everyman hero type, as they are too far in the dark to be anything but. This is not to say they are bad and should be seen as characters are act as they would deem fit. This can be seen with the comic book character of Deadpool, he is evil and villain, just a morally questionable man. He does good things, though with a lot of death and not everyone is going to make it out alive. However, this is a staple of such character and their story, people are going to dead and we have to be okay with knowing that. The antihero will also most likely die at the end of their story, giving the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone. That is not to say that they will be absolved of the horrible acts that they have committed in the name of good, but it is not that they will be punished.

Heroes by their very nature are characters that humans have been making up for millennia as almost a way to showcase the very best and at the same time the worse with the ability to change. Though there are many hero types, the most common three: the classical hero, the everyman, and the antihero, each of whom we are able to see ourselves in and can imagine what it is like to be in their shoes. Some days you may be the classical hero, perfect in everything you do. Others you are the everyman, ready for the call but not always willing to go on the journey just yet. And still on others you are the antihero, not a villain but rather someone that sees the world and had chosen that you are good. In each of these hero types we are able to better understand where we come from, who we are, and where we are going. That is the really point of the hero and it is important that we think about these things going forward in our day to day lives.

Works Cited

Star Wars Origins — Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey, www.moongadget.com/origins/myth.html.

“Harry Potter and the Three Types of Heroes.” The Write Practice, 18 Jan. 2012, thewritepractice.com/harry-potter-and-the-three-types-of-heroes/.

“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium Script — Dialogue Transcript.” Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium Script — Transcript from the Screenplay and/or the Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman Movie, www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/a2/mr-magoriums-wonder-emporium-script.html.

“Princess Diaries Script — Dialogue Transcript.” The Princess Diaries Script — Transcript from the Screenplay and/or Anne Hathaway Movie, www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/p/princess-diaries-script-transcript-hathaway.html

Rice, Fredric L. A Practical Guide to THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES by Joseph Campbell In the Long Run, Th, web.archive.org/web/20090219134358/http://skepticfiles.org/atheist2/hero.htm.

“The Rise of the Anti-Hero.” RELEVANT Magazine, 7 June 2017, relevantmagazine.com/culture/tv/rise-anti-hero.

Through, a more active learning mode, student will be better engaged in their learning. This can be done through smaller classes; the average class size should only be 25 and at maximize 30 students. Daniels explains how through smaller classes, “Smaller classes in which student are required to involve themselves… give-in-take with their instructors and fellow students,” (College Lectures). It will create students to be more active in their learning and thus better the learning of the students. It will also help the instructors to better their teaching and think more critically, rather than reading from note cards and spewing out information that will be forgotten by their students. The best learning experience that a student can have is one where there is debate and learning. Some of my best learning was done during classes, where we debated the facts. This is mostly in English classes, where everything is up to interpretation. It is not good enough to learn the facts to just spew it out later and forget about it later. The students need to feel excited about the material they are learning about.

If students are not excited about what they are learning, they will just do the minimum of the work and learning. This can be seen with any math or science course, which is too formulaic and unable to adopt to change. The worse experience that I have are where I was just sitting and waiting for the class to end. I still do not know when trig is going to help me in life. It is the whole thing with the student looking at the clock, seeing that there is still an hour left of class and they start pounding their head against the desk. Daniels shows this in his example with the college freshman, “Some days Mary sits in the front row… to judge by the way they are nodding off or doodling in their notebooks,” (College Lectures). It is clear that student do not do well, if the material is dry and boring. There needs to be better and more excitement in the class, not the droning on of the professor. This will increase more learning and prompt, hopefully, independent thinking and study.

It is very hard for students in secondary and higher education to get the necessary nurturing from their instructors; that upperclassmen and graduate students do not need. This is because they know how to conduct independent research and where get the resources for it. Daniels explains this point, “But the lecture too frequently comes at the wrong end… even individual, instruction,” (College Lectures). He goes on to explain why upperclassmen and graduate students do not need this level of educational nurturing, as they have developed the independent skills needed to accomplish a task. Though, this is not something that I have ever crossed, it is important. Student need to have some level of watching and guidance, so that they can stay true to course. They cannot get lost in the mountain of learning, when starting out.

Though, lectures are not going away, they needed to be replaced by smaller classes at the lower levels. Daniels gives many reasons for why this is in his article, “College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening?” This shows that the lecture hall is not bad, just done wrong. The point of school and by extension learning is to have students engage, enthusiastic, and nurture their learning. If we cannot do this, the education system has failed.

Boys are typically taught to be strong and silent, most especially around their emotions. This comes from a primitive or primal mindset that focuses on a hierarchical structure. Tannen explains this point, “Boys’ group are larger and more hierarchical… in the group,” (644). In these situations, there is a leader and followers. The leader often has to prove that they can lead, thus emotions are abandoned. We can see this in mafia movies, like the Godfather. There is a clear chain of command and everyone is well aware of this. It should be noted that apes also do this, though it is often the oldest ape of the troop. This is not always the case for humans, but the older, more experienced tend to try to stop the younger men from phrasing them out.

For girls, they are taught that in relationships intimacy is very important and thus learn how to express themselves. Their groups tend to be more closely knit and long lasting. Tannen explains, “Little girls create and maintain friendships… cornerstone of friendship,” (644). Women tend to be better at keeping people, thus expecting their partners to do the same. This expectation can often be faulty, as men are heavily guarded. A girl can go to her best friend and tell her anything and everything, the best friend listens and then asks for more information. She will also give affirmations and comfort.

At the end of the day, women are better suited to be emotionally available. This is a direct connection to how they are raised. Men’s communication stems from a primitive mindset that expresses itself through hierarchical structuring, leaving emotions to be of last concern. Men and women minis well be two different species that are trying to co-exist.

Works Cited

Tannen, Deborah. “SEX, LIES AND CONVERSATION.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 24 June 1990, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1990/06/24/sex-lies-and-conversation/01cb17ba-1af7-4bf4-8a02-3d1b6c11648f/?utm_term=.9abcc7ac8d43.

Though, it is hard for entry level jobs to teach all necessary skills for professional life, they should be put the building blocks down. These jobs have a tendency to focus on rudimental task that some people believe are “useful.” But, to whom are theses skills useful to, when such jobs are being taken over by machines. Etzioni echoes this point, “The author argue… or what its significance is,” (172). The ability to operate a cash register or a food-preparation machine is not marketable skills, when a machine can do it better than a human. Now, it is worth note that customer service is an important skill to have, as we will have to deal with other people in a diplomatic way. Though, most workers are never taught these things. This skill is important to my line of work, being in the service of people. However, we are not taught this, except for a single training on de-escalation that is never used by anyone. And the skills we do learn are never useful, as they are never put into professional aspects. We recently conducted a training on public speaking, which is helpful but not in any useful way. This is most likely a result of the work we do, but is not translating over. We are also undermined in our work by our superiors, which can only be a result of age. It is to be noted that the age gap is not great. Etzioni echoes this point, by expressing the failing to have proper supervision by experienced persons, (173). This can lead to the misuse and lessening of money’s value.

Young workers, mostly high schoolers in their junior and senior years, tend to not have a firm grasp on money’s value. This is mostly driven by the impulsive nature of the teenage mind, stemming from feeling rewarded. The making of money is a “status symbol,” as explained by Etzioni, (174). Though, some are saving money or putting it back into the home, this is not the case for all. The teenage mind has not fully developed to consider the pointlessness of some purchases, needing to feel instant gratification or acceptance by peers. I do this some level, as I feel a need to be seen as okay by various persons. To some extent it is to appear stable and feel better about things. It feels good to have new, nice things, but better to have money and know there is something. The making of money is an appealing thing and thus people may try to find ways to make more, leading to dropping out of school.

The drop-out rate of students in high school is highly alarming, considering that they may not be able to advance in the workforce. Though, this is not avoidable for some, it is still concerning. The pressures of trying to balance both school and work can cause individuals to have to choose between the two, most people choosing the ladder. Etzioni attempts to explain this for some, as being related to status. “Many teens find the instant reward of money… and instead work longer at a Burger King,” (174). This can lead to most people to use work in the place of school, acting in an escapism as also explained by Etzioni. This is not the case for all, as they may have to drop-out of school to support their families to stay out of the poverty level. This tends to happen within the lower classes and minorities, where the system takes advantage of them. Entry level jobs should be giving these people the ability to advance, as they have limited options in the future. I know McDonald’s does have some sort of system for young people to get a higher education, though I do not know the particulars.

Though, work is important, there needs to be more done. Etzioni expresses this in his article, by presenting many reasons that entry level jobs are failing to teach valuable skills. The failings must be better examined, as there are clearly alarming things happening. The foremost importance for jobs is to teach valuable professional skills, money understanding and management, and prevention of dropouts from high school. It is highly recommended that jobs at all levels think about these things.

Works Cited

Axelrod, Rise B., and Charles Raymond Cooper. Axelrod and Cooper’s Concise Guide to Writing. Bedford/St. Martins, 2012.

I’ll also tell you that I didn’t actually deal with my bisexuality until my junior year of high school, where I started to get feeling for my best friend, Spencer. I wasn’t actively hiding it or anything. It just wasn’t important to me up until that point. I know that might not make any sense, but I was too “busy” focusing on school and generally trying to figure out life. It was always in the back of my mind though. I always knew that I wasn’t going to be straight. When I looked back and think about all of the guys I had been infatuated with, it’s very clear that I wasn’t. It’s like the best-worst keep secret in Washington. Though that’s all it was back then, just simply infatuation with them, mostly because of their physical appearance.

This wasn’t going to change for many years and I would say, not until I started high school and met Spencer. He was really the reason why I started to feel more than simple infatuation. I would have called it love. He is very special to me and I really don’t know what I do without him.

I had feeling for him and still do. You think it be easy to do. And I bet it would have been, if the guy wasn’t also my best friend. Life never can be easy or simple. At least with a stranger, I’d never have to see him again if they reject me or we break up. That is only assuming that they actually like me back and agree to go out. There might also be some rumors or gossip, which really is just the same thing. But, of course it wasn’t going to be that simple. Oh no, I was going to have to go up to Spencer and basically tell him that I’ve had feeling for him for the last three years ever since I first saw him.

I know it’s a cliché to say that it was love at first sight, because there’s no such thing. But this was that or at least I thought it was at the time. In reality, it was infatuation at first sight. You know, where you’re in “love,” you’re really in lust, with someone because of their physical appearance or some sort of superficial thing about them. He wasn’t overly attractive in terms of him being like a model or in this case a jock, as this is high school and everything. No, he wasn’t either of those things. He was nerd cute, had that hipster thing going on with the hipster glasses that were big with black frames. He was somewhat tall with a slender build that was often covered by a hoodie. He had soft, dark brown hair that if the light hit it just right there were highlights of blonde. I loved messing with it. His eyes were hazel with light brown at the center and green coming off.

I never felt this way about anyone before and will never feel this way about anyone ever again. Is that a terrible thing to say? That anyone I’ll every being in a relationship will never have my full attention. I mean, I’ll love them and I’ve liked a lot of other people since him. He’s just my first and I love him in such a way that no one else will ever get from me. My heart belongs to him forever and always. We have… had… an emotional connection and I feel that we understand each other. He means the world to me. I know he doesn’t like me saying that, but it’s a pure and simple fact. I do have other things, such as writing and drawing, that I do that to make me happy. He just makes me feel like I’m everything and that I can do anything.

He once stayed up all night with me during the summer, texting and everything. It was nice. I had freaked myself out earlier in the day and couldn’t sleep. I had just learned what a creepypasta was and that wasn’t a good thing. I don’t ever consider myself easily scared by supernatural or paranormal things, but it’s the stuff that seems like it could be real. It probably didn’t help that it was a slightly cloudy day and I lived in a complex that was developed, but also had a large wooded area behind it. I couldn’t tell you why I texted him, I just did. He probably would have understood and I wouldn’t feel so crazy.

Now, I could tell you that I walked up to him in the lobby one day during the morning or something; I grabbed and held him in my arms. Then told him I liked him and then kissed him in front of a crowd of people. We started dating and are together still. And that would make a pretty great and fantastic story. You know boy likes boy, boy comes out to boy, and boy and boy end up happily ever after. But, why would I be writing this if that happened? There wouldn’t be any reason for this. No, this is how it happened, as much as I wish it happened that way. That would have made him my first kiss and my first real relationship.

He’s just standing there, looking at the notepad. He is literally expressing nothing right now and the silence is slightly killing me. And by slightly, I mean a lot. Why won’t he just say something? I mean, I just dropped a bombshell on our entire friendship, but it’s not like he hasn’t figured it out. I don’t know what’s worse, the waiting for him to respond or the months of trying to figure out how to tell him. If I were to guess, it’s totally the silence and the waiting for him to talk. Will you just say something, literally anything will do right now. My spirit is ready to jump out of me and start shaking him like in an anime. I don’t think he’s trying to torture me, but this is getting annoying. It’s a real shame that I’m too nervous to engage and ask him what’s going on. Wait, he’s turning his head to look at me and… still nothing. He’s just staring at me with that same stupid, adorable stare. I should have thought of a better way to tell him; but in my defense the year is almost over and it was either now or never. This really isn’t the greatest or even best defense; I can hear the judge, jury, and executor laughing now. It’s not like I haven’t thought of other ways to tell him, there was never going to be the right time to.

This approach is no better than a text. A call would have been marginally better than this. He’s still looking at me. I think I’m gonna hug him that feels right… maybe? Not really… no. It’s just what I do when I’m feeling uncomfortable. This is in no way meant to help or make him feel better.

The bells start ringing and we need to go to first block. I grab the notepad and follow him. We both have to go the same way anyways. God I hate this part of the morning, trying to get through the cattle that are my fellow classmates. I wonder, if the message wasn’t clear and that’s way he hasn’t said anything. Look at the notepad, I’m not seeing it. I really don’t understand how this couldn’t be any clearer, I like you. Nope. I can’t see it. But, maybe he needs more. Let’s see, how to make this clearer. Maybe if I write, More than just friends, which will make it, clear. Let’s find out. Okay so let’s write it and show it to him. He’s reading that’s good. He’s finishing it. And now he’s patting me on the head. I’m starting to feel that nothing was lost in translation.