2017: The First Six Weeks

And just like that, it’s February. Where does the time go?  

Well, this will be one of my more random posts. Today I’m talking about my collective thoughts through the first few weeks of 2017.

First, I’ve been reading Brandon Sanderson.

You might remember him as the guy who finished the Wheel of Time. His name wasn’t pulled out of a hat for that. Sanderson was already an accomplished author in his own right, with, at last count, five series of his own, numerous standalone stories, and no signs of slowing down soon.

Examples?

I came across Steelheart over a year ago, a post-apocalyptic superhero story in which there are no heroes, only the villains who destroyed the world. It follows an underground resistance movement of ordinary people, rebelling in a city ruled by Superman – if Superman was evil.

Original, right? Months later, I read the second book, Firefight, on my phone. Still haven’t gotten the final part of the trilogy.

–checks Play Store-

Oh, look! The price has gone down. Sweet. Calamity, here I come.

I’m also definitely reading his Mistborn series at some point. Which is, admittedly, the same setting in fantasy form. The tale of a young thief who becomes the heroine of a fallen world where long ago, the Dark Lord actually won.

That’s just the beginning, though. Apparently his goal here is to advance a fantasy world and civilization technologically, all the way from medieval times to spaceflight. The original trilogy is the medieval part. He’s moved on to something like the Wild West now.

Anyway. Last month I read the first two books in what is already being described as his magnum opus: the Stormlight Archive.

In his own words, this was the story he wanted to tell ever since he was a child. A vast, sweeping epic fantasy. And it is epic.

Long ago, the Knights Radiant protected humanity from the Voidbringers in a cyclical, ever-recurring conflict. They always won, though the cost was great. Then the Radiants forsook their oaths and abandoned mankind, their mystical swords and armor now little more than the spoils of war. Thousands of years have passed. Religion and history agree that the Voidbringers are gone forever.

Now they return. Humanity is oblivious, caught up in petty wars. But the Everstorm is coming. The Knights Radiant must rise again…

Sounds pretty cliché, doesn’t it.

This sort of ancient-evil-impending-apocalypse story is basically the standard for epic fantasy, going all the way back to The Lord of the Rings. Nothing wrong with that, as long as each tale has its own distinct flavor.

And Sanderson delivers his own flavor in spades. The world of Roshar is continually wracked by vast hurricanes called highstorms, and the entire ecosphere has evolved to survive them. Plants withdraw into the ground at any movement. Most animals have hardened carapaces. Wagons are pulled not by horses or cattle, but by giant crustaceans. Yes, really. For contrast, a land protected by encircling mountains exists, with a more familiar ecosystem. Anything out of Shinovar – e.g., grass that doesn’t move – is considered downright bizarre.

There’s also some interesting social structures going on. Slavery is widespread, with a race of black-and red-skinned humanoids, parshmen, doing much of the world’s grunt work. Among humans, racism is culturally ingrained, with social standing based not on skin tone, but on the colour of one’s eyes. The lighteyes are the nobility; the darkeyes, commoners and slaves.

It’s the characters, though, that drive a story. And Sanderson’s are excellent. Kaladin is a broken young man, darkeyed, a surgeon and soldier turned slave. He struggles with bitterness and hatred towards the lighteyes. But his sense of honor and human decency, as well as his natural capabilities as a leader, even as a slave, make him as true a hero as any I’ve seen.

Shallan is a sheltered lighteyed girl, intelligent but naïve, travelling alone for the first time. More layers are revealed over time, however, including more determination than you’d expect, and a tragic childhood. Though I still preferred Kaladin’s storyline, I ended up liking her a lot more than I did at first. Shallan is a bright smile over a dark past, and that made her real in a way only the best authors can pull off.

There are others I’m omitting for brevity. Dalinar, stoic and honorable, is the main reason I’m adding a black-armored guardian to my own story. What? At least I admit it. And Wit gets an honorable mention for sheer wittiness.

I thoroughly recommend the Archive, if you’re the sort of person who looks at thousand-page fantasy novels with eagerness. Like me. It’s an epic story, and this is just the beginning. The third book is still a long way away. I can’t wait.

Secondly – I’ve developed an interest in foreign affairs.

Well, ‘foreign’ is a matter for debate.

This is kind of a rant. Bear with me.

I’ve never been a patriot of any kind. I don’t really identify with a single culture, or a single country. I was born in the United States of America. I’ve grown up in Malaysia. I still have the accent, and tend to describe things with color, not colour. I also swear in Malay, and once found it strange that some parts of the world don’t eat rice every night.

Every now and then, I’ll be referred to as the white guy. Back in the US, I still remember a little girl in school calling me Asian. Ah, those were the days.

The dichotomy of it all used to bother me. Now I embrace it. I like being a mix of countries, of cultures. I like being both.

But I am, at least in part, American.

And as an American, I have to say – I don’t think much of Donald Trump.

I couldn’t believe he’d actually won the election. His message of prejudice and racism, of us against them, is exactly the sort of thing I would stand against. The man has no political experience whatsoever, throws tantrums on Twitter, and has a well-documented record of creative interpretations of the truth bullshit. The recent travel ban fiasco seems fairly representative of his behavior: impulsive, ignorant and rooted in xenophobia.

To be fair, a country does have the right to close its borders – if there was any evidence the people being barred were an actual threat. If my mother hadn’t been allowed into the US, I would never have been born.

So yeah. I’m biased. I’m glad the entire mess was shut down in court, at least for now.

Of course, it’s not just Trump. It’s also his fledgling administration. In part, the travel ban caused chaos because it was poorly implemented. Stories of infighting and failures of communication abound, along with tales that Trump’s own staff are already losing faith in him, even as they struggle to keep up with his insecurities and handle the scandal of the day. Alternative facts? You’ve got to be kidding me. 

These are the people running one of the most powerful countries in the world?

*deep breath*

Maybe this is hypocritical of me. I never took an interest in American politics before. It’s only three weeks into the presidency. Maybe the people under him will improve; that’s possible. Maybe Trump himself will improve. I doubt it.

It’s important to remember that around half of the country did elect him, seeing him as an agent of change. Fair enough. I’m an outsider looking in. I don’t know how it’s been over there. I just wonder if these are the kinds of changes they had in mind.

It’s all rather disillusioning. I remember when I was younger, I looked at the US and saw a golden glow, freedom and opportunity, amber waves of grain and all that. I don’t see it that way anymore. I don’t think the rest of the world does either. The United States aren’t exactly united, are they. If anything, they’re more divided than ever.

Well, moving on.

Thirdly – I need to set some goals this year.

I wasn’t entirely unproductive in 2016. *points to blog archive* That said, I could have gotten more done if I’d been more focused and organized. These are not New Year’s resolutions, because those are generally doomed to failure. They’re goals, which just happen to take place in the New Year. Completely different.

1. Better time management.

I prefer to take my time. I dislike rushing. Ironically, I’m also one of those people who tend to be five minutes late for everything. There has to be a balance.

I do have some ideas about how to find it. Stronger priorities, and less distractions. I did take some tentative steps towards this last year. Sorry, Hearthstone. I love my games, but you’re just too addictive. Reading, writing, relationships and yes, gaming (in moderation), are priorities. Mindlessly scrolling Instagram whenever I’m bored is not.

Despite the six-day work week, I do have time. I just need to utilize it effectively.

2. Finish Wraithblade.

I only have so much writing time, so I will, by necessity, be cutting down on the blog posts. Maybe only one a month or something.

I left the story hanging on Chapter Seven for months last year. I was stuck, and again, letting myself get distracted. But one thing I’ve learned about writing is that if you push through your own disinterest, something will eventually interest you, leading to more writing, and more interest, etc, etc. You are your own motivation.

And you have to be. Creative people the world over know that you can’t wait for inspiration. You get to work, and the inspiration follows. Keep putting your dreams off until tomorrow, and someday there won’t be any more tomorrows. Frightening, isn’t it.

So I need to get to work. What I just said about recapturing your own interest is true. I got unstuck, and know what happens next. For a few more chapters, at least.

Oh, you’re just joining us? Here’s the first chapter, and yes, I wrote it that long ago. Any thoughts are welcome.

3. Ninety days.

This one’s personal.

One day at a time.

4. Save more money.

I can afford more.

This is probably the easiest goal, really, since I was already saving money – if not quite so much.

I can afford it, though. Being debt-free is easy to take for granted. I pay for food, utilities, bus fare. And that’s it. All my expenses. Being single and financially unencumbered does have its advantages.

Now is the time to save money – while I have it.

5. Put on weight?

Okay. This one might be tricky.

I’ve mentioned my metabolism before. Just the other night, someone called me a scarecrow. Ha ha. The night before that, someone else called it a gift and a curse – which is accurate. I’ve already started working out at home a few times a week. But is it enough?

I’m reluctant to commit to supplements, because saving money. That stuff is expensive. I’m reluctant to hit the gym, because of the extra time required. I finish work late enough as it is.

And most importantly – I’m not sure how much strength I have to spare. My job isn’t exhausting, but it’s not sedentary, either. I spend a fair amount of time each day on my feet. I’m always tired by evening. I’m tired right now. That line about working people having money and energy, but no time, isn’t necessarily true. I still have time. I’m not so sure about energy.

Maybe bulking up is aiming too high. I’ll settle for getting more fit.

And lastly.

I was walking down the road one morning, not long ago. I was thinking about something. About someone. 

Or rather, I’d worn myself out thinking about it, over the last few days. I do that sometimes. It’s exhausting. Then a thought occurred to me: walking down the road is inherently dangerous.

There are giant chunks of metal speeding along right next to you. Not safe. A single swerve could make you an unfortunate statistic.

But I don’t think about it. I’m aware of the danger, sure. I look both ways, stay outside the lines. I believe I’ll reach my destination. And I do. Life’s like that, don’t you think? We do what we can, and trust that we’ll get where we’re going. Either we will or we won't. It really is that simple. Or it should be.

But we have all these doubts and insecurities, and what should be simple gets complicated. We obsess over what we’re doing, and not doing, and should be doing. Our greatest fears run rampant in our minds. And we worry.

Here’s what I realized that morning. Spending your life worrying is like walking down the road thinking, I’m going to get hit by a car, I’m going to get hit by a car, I’m going to get hit by a car.

It’s pointless.

At best, you’re trading peace of mind for tunnel vision. At worst, walking down the road while keeping a close eye on every car means you fall in a sewer and drown.

Don’t laugh, it could happen.

See what I’m getting at? Overthinking creates problems that never existed in the first place. It's a useless and dangerous distraction. 

It might seem complicated, but maybe life is simpler than it looks. 

To get where we want to go, we take the steps we can see. 

For the people we care about, and who care about us. Who make us smile, and laugh, and somehow make life brighter - 

We hold on to them.

Even if we don’t know how it’ll all work out in the end –  

Maybe we just need to have a little faith.