I have been reading a lot lately, in doing so, I feel like I have been able to improve my writing prowess. That was until I started reading a book about writing. The book “A Sense Of Style” is an interesting read, gave me some important insight on the mechanics of writing. What I did realize in reading this book is that my grasp of the English language is subpar. It’s more like a parrot copying a phrase than actual understanding of language. My ability to write well will be essential where I want to go in life and is a necessary for improving my prospects. So I decided that the only way to improve was to work at it. Go back to simple basic mechanics and work my way up. My hope is to post different lessons I learn in engaging ways that will be both fun to read and thought-provoking. I will keep improving, and as time goes on, this creative space will be used as a record of how far I’ve come. Thank you for reading, and let me know any writing tips or tricks you may know.
Creative Project
My Small Musings
The bright L.E.D. backlight of my laptop has illuminated my face for the evening. My eyes have grown accustomed to the light as the absence of the day left me with a darkened room. The sound of my clicking keyboard is the only thing that sounds even remotely like life. I have sat, at this point, for hours. The various images and clips that I’ve pulled up on my screen have been countless, as my mind races to find some activity stimulating enough to catch my attention for more than a couple moments. I resort to what usually find myself doing, watching top ten lists of various aspects of movies or tv shows. Inside I know I need to do something, something to feel like the night means something, but it’s already late, and the list of tabs with video grows and keeps me in this space of indecision as my night floats on without me.
I did reach out to see if some of my friends wanted to hang out earlier, but alas no dice. To me, it feels like one of those evenings to talk about sad things, to swap stories about scars, about failures, about lost passions and rejection. To wallow in the center of intense emotion, finding some bonding in the darkness of the heart. A time to listen to heartwrenching songs and watch horribly sorrowful scenes of tv shows or movies. The kind of things that brings tears to the eye but happy in a way that we can be moved so much by them.
Well Alternatively, I could have gone driving around and see the night as I passed by the people out and about. Drove through the bright neons of Hollywood, the incandescent lights of the suburbs, or found some quiet, dark road that makes me feel like the whole universe disappeared. Doesn’t feel like one of those nights, especially with no one to share the moment.
I could start my next book, a book about the psychology of persuasion. I’m still not over the last one, processing all the messages I got from it. Trying to institute some sort of change in accordance to its recommendations given to the main character. I know I will get to it later this week so there is no rush.
Inside I know I have to write, I have regularly been writing to make a habit of it. Trying to make it an addiction, an obsession. Something to keep me up at night, something I have to do or else I feel off. It’s the romantic in me that has always wanted one of these kinds of obsessions. So I sit here, illuminated by the L.E.D. of my laptop with the clicking of the keyboard being the only thing that sounding remotely like life as I spend time thinking about the world and writing.
Ode To A Summer Long Past
I remember the heat as it seared my skin, feeling like all my exposed areas were to get instantly vaporized by the intense sun beating down on me. Summer in Southern California had come and with it a sense of sense of adventure.
I remember the wait on the grayed curb, as the anticipation of the day started to take hold. I began to try to keep myself busy with the various humdrum activities I could think of before the car came by to pick me up. It didn’t take long before it did.
I remember the slightly off white car pull up, frosted with dust and dirt from all around the city. Slowing down and stopping right in the middle of this uncrowded street. The windows down with letting out all the hot air out, and unlike all the other vehicles nearby there wasn’t heat wafting off the chassis.
I remember rising and walking over towards to my friend and the car throwing some informal pleasantries back and forth before crossing over to the other side, where I could lift the handle on the slightly warm door. Swinging the door open fully not worried about hitting anything and seeing the tan seats greet me as my friend cleared the place for me.
I remember throwing my leg into the car avoiding the various things piled onto the floor that day. Sitting back into the fabric seats that felt like warmed towels after a shower. My body absorbing the heat into myself, starting to produce the first signs of sweet watery relief from my forehead.
I remember as the car began to move, the music changed to some upbeat alternative rock song the felt like embodied the summer driving season. As the air outside flooded in and the artificial wind it produced mixed with the air freshener the sweet smell exploded from it. Smell that permeated the car was a one that I couldn’t place but will forever be my favorite scent for the inside of a car because of the memories.
I remember the whimsical nature of drive, never knowing what we would do even after we pushed off onto the road. I remember the sun out our back as we did whatever we wanted, throwing caution to the wind and driving down the streets to a destination we couldn’t fathom until we were almost there.
I remember those days because those days were what summer are to me, a car, a friend, some music, and a sense of adventure that even the heat couldn’t stop me.
The Last Wild Ride
My last ride with her,
It took us a while to get going,
To get moving along the road.
She had always been bad at waking up,
She always stalled and made excuses
Today I’m not having it,
Today, I came prepared
By the time she started up
I was ready
The day was already too bright
We went by the gas station,
But she didn’t need much, she never did
I was tempted just to go home with her from there,
That was our usual routine,
But today was different,
The road called us,
I knew, these might be our last moments together
I think she did too.
We roar down the alley,
Yell at the top of our lungs
This time we’re on the same page when the yelling begins
Tearing off down the street
My body moves on its own
After being with her for so long
I knew the twists and turns, the way she moved too
We find a quiet place
And slow
Feel the wind surrounding us
Just like that first time
When we were both so excited
saw nothing but adventure
It felt like I could fly
Not anymore, not with her
Her wings couldn’t carry me to where I wanted to go
And she just wanted to run free again.
I knew that was best for her
The wind surrounded us now
It wasn’t my wind anymore
It felt like we were both ready
Going down the curved road,
Reminded me of all the miles we traveled together
Those nights that were so cold we felt the chill into the next day
She carried me,
through college,
through trials and tribulations,
through my relationships
We just lost what we had in common,
Around that last bend
I wanted to know that love I had,
She did too
It was just me, her, and the ride
But it was just silence
I knew it was time
Goodbye, my ruby red bike
It was fun, and I love you
I want you to ride with someone who will appreciate you like I did
Someone who will be happy to see you every day
Goodbye, my ruby red bike
You’ll fly again someday.
A Small Story.
6/22/2036
Felix Fawkes,
Chief Executive Officer
Vision Industries
I have been working for Vision Industries over the course of 20 years, and the company has been a place where I would call my second home. The people I have met and the opportunities provided to me have bene priceless memories for which I am forever grateful.
Unfortunately, today I must regretfully inform you that I must tender my resignation from Vision Industries and all of its subsidiaries. This reason being that the current projects and direction of the company doesn’t agree with my personal and professional ethics. This letter is my final effort for you to abandon the Project Genie.
Twenty years ago, at the start of my tenure at V.I., I was placed in the research and development division where I began work in the development of the more immersive virtual reality environments. Started with Project Feel, which hoped to bring some realistic textures and sensation to gamers. Using the Feel controller that pushed electrical signals into the hands so that the player could have realistic sensations of touch in the virtual environment. Even with its extended development period and an even longer period of public hesitation we were all excited for its success and mass adoption. It wasn’t until our next project went underway, and expansion to a Feel Suit, a suit that would expand the electrical signals to the rest of the body, people started voicing their concern for the general public on the matter of creating an environment that is too rich and immersive. We all, including myself, dismissed that concern, stating the people would be able to decipher the differences. With the success that even dwarfed the original Feel Controller, the Feel Suit went beyond just gaming to include both Feel Movies and TV Shows.
The Feel Suit had its limitations, it still required a spatial environment where the user could walk around in, and the desensitization of nerves to constant stimuli. It was next logical step was to input the signals directly into the brain. Through the reservations, and resignations of the staff who thought that the project was taking it too far, we all pushed ahead to getting the Sense Chip approved by the FDA for widespread use. It was an uphill battle with several wrongful death class action suits on our hands, but when we got the approval, the general public was just as accepting of the Sense Chip as our other products. Even though it require a microchip inserted into the spine that would transmit signals given off by the brain into actions in the virtual environment will simultaneously blocking the brain signals to the physical body, people had no hesitation adopting this emerging technology.
At this time, is when my reservations with the project began, though the product was paving a new way for people to interact and expanding fields in medicine, therapy, and business opportunities, the reliance on our product was disconcerting. There was always the barrier to overcome with still requiring screens, and that sensation did not extend to the face and head. I began to believe that it was a good step in science and technology it was a step back for us as the human race.
I pushed forward with Project Genie, hoping that my reservations with the project would dissipate with time. Inserting the chip directly into the brain as to stimulate sensation at the source was the final stepping stone. Unfortunately, when debriefing the testers after inserting intraneural chips and exposing them to test environments, they began to experience confusion and a desire to return to the test environment. After running more tests, the subjects could not differentiate the virtual environment from reality. Some became somewhat paranoid and created outlandish theories as to why they were transported to this lesser reality from the paradise they had experienced while others who could keep reality and the virtual reality separate began to suffer social withdrawal. All participants desired for longer and longer sessions with Project Genie going so far as to ask for time in the machine rather than the monetary compensation they received.
It surprised me when after my negative reports about the potentially disastrous outcome of releasing Project Genie to the public, the product was set to be released for the Christmas season. After my pleading with you to cancel the project, you threatened my termination from the company. My only regret in all this is that I did not listen to my colleagues during the previous project stages who urged me to be cautious about what might come about with pushing too far into virtual environments and immersion.
I have taken the liberty to wipe the drives that have all the data and destroy the blueprints for the microchip. I know the company can replace these things with time, but if you have an iota of doubt about this project, I implore you to abandon the project. We are losing grip with our reality and once its gone, there is no going back. I know it seems that I am making the choice for billions of people but I know that we will abandon our reality once we find one that is better.
I know after what I have done, there is no place for me in the company. I apologise for taking matters into my own hands but I feel it is the only way to get people to talk about the potential implications of Project Genie. Thank you, I was genuine when I said V.I was a second home for me. I hope for all of our sakes that we can find a better way.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bartholomew F. Peris
Senior Project Manager For Research and Development
Too Human 