There is a sort of humble expectation accommodating the idea of living truthfully, and, in a perfect world that very well may be the case, but we don't live in a perfect world. We live in an unlit, overcrowded room playing out our days in a masquerade of selfishness, praying our false pretenses are enough to light a path through the dark, enough to outshine others though not enough to expose ourselves. What is a maskless person to do other than embrace intuition lest be walked on blind? To not light a path, but illuminate the room with flames of passion? To burn so bright piercing the veil with determination that others can not touch them for fear of being burned awake? To become so unafraid of conflict that being in the eye of the storm is welcome compared to drowning in complacency or stagnation? To be alive?
So many never see the opportunity to realize they're wearing a mask; some get lost in their wardrobe. I walked away from nearly a million dollars. I have traveled hundreds of miles to make a point. I've fought for my life more than once, and I did it alone. At the end of the road it is not our accolades that define us. It's our decisions where there is no benefit. It's choosing to honor ourselves when no one is looking but our enemies. When we confuse what is better for us, as what's best for us, we surrender that strength in favor of another mask, and when it comes to manipulative ethics, there are no shortage.
How do you tell them apart?
Know thyself; know others.
How do you not stir attention when you don't dress for the event?
Unavoidable.
It's better to burn out than fade away. I hope whoever reads this can keep their torch lit long enough to pass it onto someone else.
Below are some trivial things that matter.
Solemn demeanor; apologizing in advance.
Wanderer, vigilante, dojo buster, all-around hunter of the supernatural, and proud Mythical Beast—which means should you have any resident ghosts in need of karate-chopping, my services are available.
A once inner-city youth who, having eventually escaped his concrete prison, never quite recovered from excursion's call.
Born during the year of the fire tiger—which means I'm old enough to have a pog collection buried in the dark corner of a closet somewhere far, far away.
I'm fond of all things botanical/mycological—particularly carnivorous or poisonous varieties. (Save the bees.)
I've been known to walk long distances and love to travel or explore areas isolated by nature. (Still waiting on Sean Connery to show up and tell me I'm immortal.)
I prefer damp weather, evenings, and look forward to autumn each year (follow moon phases).
Traditional martial arts in general are important.
Personally favor styles of kung-fu stemming from northern shaolin (i.e. seven star praying mantis).
Weaponry—excluding firearms—is a related interest: swords, spears and the typical, but most anything flexible/thrown.
Tiger-head hook swords and the three-section staff are my priority, though I am comfortable with the Chinese saber and nunchaku.
Still getting the bullwhip down. (Does that count?)
Definitely a fan of the tired "blackbelt fights his way through a crime syndicate" cliché, but Jackie Chan's my hero.
Favorite series' of his being the Drunken Master (Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, etc.), Three Dragons, and Armour of God films—Van Damme would be my runner-up.
There wouldn't be much left of me if you removed mythology or classic horror from my life.
I'm fascinated with archaeology and paleontology (Smilodon's my favorite animal).
Fan of the classic Universal monsters and jiangshi (Chinese vampire), my favorite older film being either Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror or Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man.
Into the vampire hunter theme (e.g. The Lost Boys, Van Helsing) or fighting the undead in general—Certified Ghostbuster.
Army of Darkness > Evil Dead II, and Krueger > Voorhees—that's the hill I've chosen to die on.
Naturally, anything Halloween-themed has my bias: jack-o'-lanterns/scarecrows, awful movies like The Monster Squad, and video games like Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
Yes, I've seen Little Shop of Horrors (1986). Can't stand musicals; original ending was better.
I like video games—favorite series of all being Castlevania. I'm 8-bit generation, but my fondest memories growing up are probably with the Super NES, PlayStation (1), and wasting quarters at local arcades.
Mostly play fighters (Neo-Geo fan at heart)—favorites being The King of Fighters and Darkstalkers. (Also into Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter, Tekken, Soulcalibur, Battle Arena Toshinden, and Mortal Kombat.)
That genre aside: Double Dragon, Final Fight, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man, and Legacy of Kain are worth mentioning (or nearly any beat-'em-up/metroidvania).
Although I'm somewhat particular concerning RPGs, I like most Final Fantasy and SaGa titles. (Final Fantasy V, Secret of Evermore, and SaGa Frontier are my top three.)
Pokémon was a thing upto the end of Generation V (Blue/SoulSilver Ver. tied as my favorite for different reasons). I predominantly trained grass and ghost types.
As far as comicbooks or manga go, I probably like Wolverine/X-Men and YuYu Hakusho more than someone should.
(Venom/Spider-Man, Blade/The Midnight Sons, Chakan: The Forever Man, The Tick, Vampire Hunter D, The Slayers, Outlaw Star, and Excel Saga to a degree.)
Music is a difficult subject. This hardly covers everything but my favorite bands are Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Type O Negative, Deftones, The Crüxshadows, Gravity Kills, Orgy, and A Perfect Circle.
I'll listen to nearly anything mid '80s-mid '90s, or most rock subgenres (throw in a pipe organ and I'm set). Otherwise, anything mellow like darkwave/trance, or whatever heavy on bass/synth.
My favorite television series is either Highlander, Sliders, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel (though I've watched a lot of Robot Chicken). MotU, Inhumanoids, Visionaries: KotML, TMNT, and Mighty Max are some of the earliest things I can remember being into, but haven't checked on in years.
As much of a sword & sorcery/Tolkien enthusiast I may be, I don't read novels regularly. Played D&D v3.5 once (drunken master prestige class).
Best fictional weapons are the flying guillotine, vampire killer, Dhylec blade, soul reaver, and bones of Li-Peng. Best mythical creature is the manticore.
My favorite colors are purple and grey, respectively (though many things I seem to like are green). I wouldn't be here today if not for spicy food and iced coffee—namely Mongolian BBQ/Dunkin' Donuts.
Value personal honesty; not sure there's much else to know.
