Good Times... Noodle Salad....

Here's a cool LINK to a website that has a bunch of folks writing little blurbs about "Perks."

I'm curious as to what Charlie will be like in 6 years. I say 6 because it's far enough away where I can make statements like this. I think that he's going to be a frat-boy womanizer. Here is my rationale....

I knew this kid in highschool who was named Tim. He wasn't quite as bad as Charlie. But I swear he didn't have any but like 2 friends. I never heard the kid talk. He was kind of a loner. He was kinda nerdy. He just seemed to observe. The only reason I noticed him was simply because of the fact that I was an observer and a deep thinker (though I was not shy). He blended in to the atmosphere like Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones (well, he kinda stands out when he's with Wood, Jagger, and Richards).

I seriously saw the kid a couple years out of highschool. He hangs out with a couple of my friends now. Tim has become Pimp of the Nation. He dresses and acts like a totally different person. He gets so many girls, I should call him Grand Master Woo. (I seriously just made that up!)

I think that Charlie will open up in college and get in with a Frat or something. It just seems like something that he will do. People seem to come out of college the opposite of how they go in. People like Charlie and Tim open up and become something you may not like so much (though, I could be wrong because Charlie is very deep and caring, I'm pretty much going on outward appearance here). Jerks like me (how I used to be) come out of college Born-Again Christians (True story, I used to be a real depressed jerk before I got saved).

Charlie could turn out the opposite I suppose. Perhaps he will change the world or something. Perhaps he (if he were real) would have done something really productive and would live a pretty successful life. Obviously he'll have to iron out a few things first.


speaking of Charlie, I was reading Libby's post on "Perks." She has a neat little quiz on there that will tell you which "perks" character you are. Swiggity.

Thinking about Charlie's first relationship reminds me of my first. When you are that young, you are stupid and you can weigh nothing in perspective. Highschool relationships are a joke anyways. Charlie goes out with Mary-Elizabeth to fill the void. I suppose most highschoolers do this. My first relationship (and most of my relationships) were simply just void-fillers. In the rare instance that you meet someone that you play all your cards right with, you just might marry that person (in west michigan, where if you're not married by 12 you are not cool.. Yes, I said 12...). I would argue that this is a complete fluke. It's a harmony birthed from chaos... Only forseen by God. In the end it turns out to be some rediculous, stomach-twisting, vomit-inducing, and cute love story... "Your father was my first and he'll be my last!" If people don't get this, you start getting antsy and start dating people (then you fall easy prey to those who seek to rip out hearts "unintentionally"... those romantic vampires).

I could compare Chbosky's "Charilie" with the main character from "Go Ask Alice" who is (nameless). I suppose there are certain scenarios that accompany a certain mindset.

Kristen had implied that "Go Ask Alice" wasn't as real as "Perks." I would agree, however I think there are similarities. Both stories seem a bit unrealistic due to the fact that there's so many things that happen to the both of them.

However, in a way the characters are very similiar. They are both friendless and will easily go with people who accept them. Charlie ends up with some not as crazy friends however. Well, her friends really aren't friends. Though he does do drugs a little, he doesn't go nuts like "Alice." She really doesn't have a role-model until she meets that one guy (his name escapes me) who meet at the library. Charlie has his teacher, who encourages him along.

"Alice" ends up in many different fixes because of her issues. Charlie ends up spending some time away for his breakdown. Charlie has more going for him than "Alice." While "Alice" does talk about some things, she does not seem to be in as deep of thought about certain things as Charlie. Charlie thinks way too much.

I think that I identify with Charlie more so than "Alice." "Alice" to me (compared to Charlie) just seems really lifeless and "not all there." Whereas Charlie seems like a real human being, with feelings.

Both of the characters have the happiness that just evades them. Everytime "Alice" tries to quit she goes back, and she ends up dead. Charlie loves Sam, and in the end its too late for him.

So, they have their similarities. I'm wondering if they are more different than similiar. I'm going to go with "different." Because they have similiar scenarios in a way, but their characters are different... Charlie is way too deep to be the same as "Alice."

I know I said I couldn't relate to Charlie, but I think I can on some level.

Charlie obviously feels like he's on the outside looking in. (hence the title).

Kristen said in her journal, "Movies, songs, and books play a huge role on Charlie and how e identifies himself." I know it's painfully obvious, but I just wanted to quote someone in my journal because now I have become cool.

But really, I don't use movies and books to describe myself as much as I do music. Music is my life (I am a musician). So I really can put myself in a certain songs... it's like my whole life is music video (One's like Guns N' Roses... they tell stories).

Sometimes, I feel this is how I am with life. I have never fit in life. The friends that I do have, they are in the same position as me. But this has been a good thing for me. I am glad that I haven't been sucked in to the world too much. I do not know how good of a Christian I am, but it at least helps me to stay a little objective and at least seek Christ and read my Bible and go to church and go to bible study and wow this is a long run on sentence that I am writing. Being an outsider has also helped me to do things I wouldn't have done if I was an insider, like play music and actually get good at it (I think I'm good! I dont know!)

Even as outgoing as I am... I'm still left on the outside a lot. It gives me lots of time to think and get the stuff in my head straight. I'm sure that Charlie had a lot of time to do that considering that he said some pretty thoughtful quotes: "I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why."

I don't look at the things like that as much as I think about the metaphysical however. I'd much rather spend my time debating universal abstract entities and other thieistic proofs.

I suppose those are the perks of being a wallflower. Just being able to sit back with a coke and a smile and enjoy the magic of the moment... Feeling like "infinite" or something. Just watching life go by but you're still getting more out of it than most people. How many people just pass on through as if there is nothing to it? I don't know about you, but I think that it's important to get something out of life... Even if it's just figuring things out and getting things straight in your head.