Adventures Of A Dreaming Ace
Creative Musings On The Intersections Of Story, Fandom, And Life
Friday, October 11, 2024
National Coming Out Day
Thursday, October 10, 2024
World Mental Health Day
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Happy October
I am planning on doing one magic/supernatural/Halloween activity all 31 days of October. I read supernatural stories; I go to apple festivals, fall festivals, and Halloween festivals; I go to a wonderful series of Terror Tuesday Talks at the library on the history of horror films.
For example yesterday I read a few stories from We Mostly Come Out at Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures which seems a fitting choice to start with as a magic / supernatural / Halloween activity and a LGBTQ History Month activity. I am looking forward to all the ways I can incorporate magic into my October.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Speaking Up About Supports Is Important
I am neurodivergent, and personally, I know that I can struggle to recognize and name what supports would be useful for me in different situations. I think this comes from the fact that I masked so long before knowing I was neurodivergent, so I am used to simply figuring out how to manage instead of trying to figure out how I can thrive in such situations. Yesterday I was able to recognize the usefulness of certain supports (in this case using a walking/hiking stick when I was dealing with a cold). I then decided to share what supports I used with a wider audience as part of my daily #selfcarechronicle on Instagram.
As I wrote yesterday:
Today #selfcarechronicle was both
Another wonderful @threeavenuesbookshop summer reading challenge park meetup (and let's say there were some very active, inquisitive and entertaining kids and young adults running around the park tonight πππ)
AND
Celebrating personal supports. I have been fighting a cold or something so not feeling π― and since today was at the farthest park in the park meetup loop I both took the brown line and brought a walking stick I had.
Felt a little silly using a walking stick but it made walking easier which is the point of all supports making life easier. And I think we need to more often share what supports we use with others. Celebrating π supports helps us all.
What did you do for #selflove today?
What did you do for #joy today?
My #carechronicle is based on ones #wentworthmiller used to do on social media
Thursday, August 15, 2024
How Do We Define Idolizing?
A friend on Facebook shared the blog post Please Don’t Idolize Me (or Anyone, Really) by John Scalzi which is an interesting read but led me to the question how do we define idolizing?
For example:
There are a number of characters (or non-fictional people I have created fictionalized personas of inside my head) who have become deeply embedded into how I navigate the world. I often talk about how they are my parasocial support network. No matter what I am experiencing or how I need to get that experience out of myself, they are there for me inside my imagination (or inside the fanfiction I read).
They are malleable enough to always be what I need, whether that is someone who has had a similar experience, someone to give me a hug, someone who will patiently help me brainstorm how to improve my executive functioning, or simply someone to help me name my own experience, etc.
I do not see these people as perfect as in without flaws, but sometimes I do see them as "situationally perfect," as in this person has talked about having similar experiences to me, and therefore I feel like they are "perfectish" for understanding what I need in this situation.
I feel like I get a similar level of comfort from these people as those who are said to "idolize" others. Which goes back to my original question: How do we define idolizing?
- Is going back to a particular quote or speech whenever I have forgotten how to be human or how to exist considered idolizing?
- Is using characters/fictional personas to center myself when I need a safe space to express what I am feeling considered idolizing?
- Is knowing that the versions of people inside my head are always available for a deep-pressure hug or simply to hold me as we sit in silence considered idolizing?
I agree that we should not "idolize" others, as in think they are perfect, never make poor choices, never do anything wrong, but I also know that as someone who can struggle to connect with other people, I tend to deeply embed people (characters and non-fictional people I have created fictionalized personas of in my imagination) into my reality, and honestly, I am not sure how I would navigate a world where that was not true.
Friday, August 2, 2024
High Hopes For A "Gentle, Gentle" August
July ended up being overwhelming and overstimulating for me for a number of reasons. By the end of the month, my mental health was struggling. So I was really grateful when, at the start of August, I saw a post by Chasten Buttigieg about him and Pete canvassing for Harris, and he chose to use "High Hopes" as the music that went along with the post. Pete's song really feels like a good anthem for August for me.
I’m starting August with High Hopes*
Thank you Chasten for using it in a post
Being reminded of the joy of My Pete’s song**
Feels like an amazing way to start a new month
May High Hopes help bring shifting
May High Hopes help bring energizing
May High Hopes help bring “Gentle, Gentle”**
May High Hopes help bring centeredness
May High Hopes help bring rootedness
High Hopes is the joyful noise that I need to hear
To Reboot my mental health, Reboot my physical body,
Reboot my hope and dreams and desires and vision too
Reboot, Renew, Refresh every single bit of my tired being
High Hopes is the joyful noise that I need to hear
May High Hopes help bring shifting
May High Hopes help bring energizing
May High Hopes help bring “Gentle, Gentle”
May High Hopes help bring centeredness
May High Hopes help bring rootedness
I’m starting August with High Hopes*
Thank you Chasten for using it in a post
Being reminded of the joy of My Pete’s song**
Feels like an amazing way to start a new month
*https://youtu.be/fH_OnJk6QqU?si=nETzTmtEemeJvjez
** Pete Buttigieg used the song High Hopes in his 2020 campaign run
*** From a Instagram post by Wentworth Miller from a few years ago
Pete’s “Rules of the Road”
By Dreaming Ace
Was recently reminded
Of Pete’s “Rules of the Road”
The rules that we used to
Guide us, Guide our actions
Guide us through politics
Guide us through life itself
Guide us to be our best selves
Pete’s “Rules of the Road”
Respect,
Belonging,
Truth,
Teamwork,
Boldness,
Responsibility,
Substance,
Discipline,
Excellence,
And Joy
A ton may have changed
Since 2020 but still I think
These rules of the road
Are a great place to start
I am going to try to determine
How I can focus on these rules
Over the course of this August
To Reboot, Renew, Refresh
Friday, July 26, 2024
Overall Very Enjoyable Opening Ceremony
I watched the Olympics Opening Ceremony this afternoon (I did not watch the prime-time version). Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable and lighthearted opening ceremony, but I see lots of people on social media do not agree.
Personally, I really enjoyed that it felt like they were following the writing advice to show, not tell. Many opening ceremonies are all about how the host country is clearly the best country since before fire was discovered. This one was more like here are all the things we are known for: buildings, art, music, theater, film, love, etc. You make your own mind about us.
I do wish I knew who the person dressed as a version of Spider-Gwen was climbing the buildings. But I loved that poly relationships were included in the Love section. (I say it was a poly relationship/ mΓ©nage Γ trois.) The opening ceremony also had a much more international feel; as the commentors said during my viewing, normally the flame is carried by only members of the host country; in this case, multiple countries were represented.
I liked the use of boats for the typically very boring walking in part* because it was interspersed with performances. It felt like we were just walking along the Seine, taking in the sights.
I do think 4 hours was long for me, and some of the pacing felt a bit uneven. In the beginning they would do a performance, 3-5 boats would go by, then do another performance. There was a middle section with just boats, which felt like it needed more performances.
Also on a totally personal note, the focus of the commentators on the USA athletes got old for me pretty quick. We have one or two stories I care about, but we are not the underdogs; we are going to win lots of medals because we always do.
I wanted more focus on all the cool other countries that have never won a medal, never won a gold, or overcame the most to be here, such as those from countries actively being attacked, actively experiencing geocide, the Refugee Olympic Team etc.
(* Let me be clear I am saying watching them walk in can be boring, not that anyone from those countries is boring, nor that everyone should not have their moment in the spotlight.)