#& i'd rather not buy part 4 of a book series that i haven't read any other part to

[thegentlesurvive]

The Albatross, wise men, Elton John, dead poets, and the destruction of reputation

Whenever someone says “Wise men once said,” I feel the need to look up who wrote it first. If Google search results and the absence of it in Bartlet’s Familiar Quotations (fifteenth edition, at least) are to be believed, Taylor is probably the wise men in “The Albatross.” The closest thing I’ve found to “Wild winds are death to the candle,” is “Candle in the Wind” by Bernie Taupin (lyrics) and Elton John (music), originally written about Marilyn Monroe (and in later versions, Princess Diana), who died young after she “lived your life like a candle in the wind […] Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did.”

It is

1) funny that Taylor calls herself a wise man while essentially talking shit about herself from the perspective of her detractors, and

2) interesting to me because, in the warnings, our narrator is being described as the wind, not the candle being burned out. By the end of the song, however, the albatross metaphor is subverted, and the albatross is the hero. If we reverse that first warning, too, it turns the narrator/Taylor back to the candle, at risk of being extinguished by the wind (in “Candle in the Wind,” that is to say, extinguished by the pressures of fame and the way we treat celebrities).

There’s also a loose (undoubtedly unintentional, but fun) connection to some historical tortured poets.

In Elton John: The Making of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (2001), Bernie Taupin said:

“I think the biggest misconception about ‘Candle In The Wind’ is that I was this rabid Marilyn Monroe fanatic, which really couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not that I didn’t have a respect for her. It’s just that the song could just as easily have been about James Dean or Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain. I mean, it could have been about Sylvia Plath or Virginia Woolf. I mean, basically, anybody, any writer, actor, actress, or musician who died young and sort of became this iconic picture of Dorian Gray, that thing where they simply stopped ageing. It’s a beauty frozen in time. In a way, I’m fascinated with that concept. So it’s really about how fame affects the man or woman in the street, that whole adulation thing and the fanaticism of fandom. It’s pretty freaky how people really believe these people are somehow different from us.”

Lyricist Tim Rice added:

“It’s not just the fact that it’s about Marilyn Monroe, because Marilyn died about forty years ago now nearly, yet the song’s still—well obviously it’s got the Diana connotations now—but it’s about all people who were misjudged in their lives. It’s a song about unfairness and the destruction of reputation. And a lot of people, I think, can—even if they haven’t been through that themselves—they can understand it in their heroes.”

[purplesurveys]

1859

Have you ever read the Hunger Games series? Haven't. I watched the first movie because it was on cable TV allllll the time, but that's it. That's not to say I found it annoying though – I loved the movie and watched it til the end every time it was on! just not enough to want to read the books and watch the rest of the movies I guess.

When was the last time you ran into something? Can't remember. This doesn't really happen to me a lot.

Do you enjoy dressing up? It's fun to do when it's from time to time. I cannot imagine having to do it everyday though...seems exhausting and I would assume a money-drainer since I'd then need to buy new outfits every time lol.

Do you live in the city or a rural area? Technically counts as a province since it's outside Metro Manila, but it's not rural to the point that we'd, like, have no malls or have highways that are only 1 lane each way, which is the case for many provinces here. We still have all the amenities of a city.

Would you say you have a sense of style? Sure, but my style comes in two alter egos – I have a mood that's more preppy (halter tops, flowy short-sleeved crop tops, high-waist jeans etc), but some days I'll feel like dressing more street (XL shirts, baggy jeans, 90s-style sneakers).

What’s your biggest fear? The people closest to me dying. I'm not scared of me dying, and it's really always been more of having to learn to live life without certain people.

Have you ever been bitten by a wild animal? Nah. I've been bitten by Cooper once but that's it.

Are you close to any of your cousins? I'm very close to my eldest cousin on my mom's side; we're more like siblings than cousins at this point.

Have you ever been lost in the woods? Nope.

Where did you last travel? Our last quick vacation as a family was in Tanay for one night, then we transferred to Quezon Province for the second night.

Do you enjoy driving? If there's zero traffic, driving can be very relaxing and actually fun. Unfortunately that only happens either 1) on Sunday mornings, or 2) between 1-4 AM so I rarely get to experience it.

What song did you last listen to? To Find You from the movie Sing Street.

If you have a job, how often do you work? 8 hours a day, Mon to Fri. I prioritize work-life balance now so I don't allow myself to work weekends unless it's an absolute emergency.

What time do you normally go to sleep at night? Anywhere from 12-2 AM.

Do you watch a lot of movies? Not anymore. Somebody ruined that for me, but it's fine; I've found my peace with losing my love for movies.

Do you like Tom Petty? Not particularly.

Would you rather have snow or rain? I'm not really qualified to choose between these two.

Do you own a lot of sweaters? Nope.

Have you ever tried rock-climbing? I've never tried it before, but would like to even just once!

Ever ridden in a police car? Nope.

Favorite decade of music? I don't have one and I kind of just like bits of music from each decade.

Have any of your best friends been your best friend longer than a year? Angela will be my best friend for 19 years this 2024.

Ever witnessed a murder? Nope.

Do you care what people think of you? For the most part, no not really. I make myself likable as much as I can but if someone doesn't think nicely of me, I don't make it my problem anymore.

Does your room have a ceiling fan? It does not. I would prefer not to own one because I have a loft bed, and it would be nice to not have to worry about my head being chopped off hah.

Would you consider yourself poised? Tbh not really, I am pretty uptight and can get rattled easily hah.

Have you ever tried blogging? I did, but I was garbage at maintaining my Blogspots from before. This kind of microblogging works best for me.

Favorite television channel? I stopped having favorite channels a long time ago.

Have you ever lied under oath? No, but that's also because I've never needed to be in that situation.

What are your religious views? I don't have any; I ditched Christianity when I was 10 and have had zero regrets since.

Are you a romantic person? I am if with a partner, but I've chosen to be single so I haven't needed to whip out that side of me in years now.

When did you last change your bed sheets? A few weeks ago.

Would you consider yourself a flirt? Nah.

At what age do you plan to be married? I am no longer planning for that.

Do you eat a lot of junk food? Eh, I like to keep my diet balanced. Like yeah I have like burgers and a bunch of oily things 1-2 times a week, but I also have ~cleaner meals like salad wraps and stuff to make up for it. Middle-class Filipinos are always just one emergency away from getting bankrupt, so I'd rather play it safe especially now that I'm getting older.

When did you last go on vacation? I think our last family trip was in December, if I'm not mistaken.

Are you resilient? More than I would like to have been to begin with. People shouldn't always need to be resilient, and I have long taken issue with this concept. It makes bigger forces have an excuse to treat hardworking people like shit.

Have you ever failed a subject before? Yes, lots of times. I was never good in chemistry and advanced math, so that's why I had to work double time for the subjects I was good at to pull my averages up haha.

If so, what was the class? Oh, those two ^ then. Advanced math meaning geometry, calculus, and trig. I was never any good in physics too but I managed to play it safe for the most part, playing around the 80s in my exams.

Do you wear more bright or dull colors? More dull and neutral. Bright draws attention, and I don't want that.

Do you know anyone who has attempted suicide? Sure.

What’s your favorite quote? "If you really love to be loved, I think it'd be good to show those who love you how much you've changed." I've lived by this advice every day ever since I heard it.

Would you consider yourself mature? Sure. I still like to be petty sometimes but that's reserved for a handful of very specific situations haha.

How many clocks are in your house? Two.

Do you play any sports? Table tennis.

What is your biggest life regret? Fighting to keep a relationship up longer than it should have. So many opportunities wasted...

Have you ever been injured in a car accident? Fortunately, no.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? I've been getting hit with ads from Sundowners Zambales and ngl, it'd be great to be back there right now lol. It's beachside, it's quiet, VERY remote...it's the vibe I definitely need right now.

Have you ever had highlights in your hair? I haven't. I prefer getting my entire head dyed.

Favorite fast food restaurant? KFC. The problem with that is that they also have the most unsanitary restaurants :( (floor always feels – not even slippery, more of...oily?, tables always smell like wet, old towels; glasses don't always look well-washed) but ugh their chicken is so good and the Fun Shots are great and the Twister is fun to eat and they also have the best fries...it's a love-hate relationship always with KFC hah.

In what country were you born? Philippines.

Are your eyes more than one color? Nope.

Have you ever caught something on fire? Nah, I stay away from fire because this is exactly the thing I want to avoid doing.

What would you consider your biggest flaw? When I prioritize myself, I can sometimes go overboard and have borderline narcissistic tendencies.

What do you think your best quality is? I'm *very* passionate about things and people I care for.

Do you enjoy listening to others’ problems? Not in particular, I'd say? I appreciate if they trust me enough to tell me about their challenges, but it can also be pressuring. Like if they ask for advice, there's that pressure to make sure whatever comes out of my mouth is correct, or that I'm reacting appropriately.

Do you keep any plants in your house? Well, my mom does. I don't really like plants.

What is your mother’s occupation? She's a secretary in the F&B department of one of the premier hotels in the country.

Do any of your friends like your musical style? Sure. I know a bunch of people who are into K-pop.

What are you most looking forward to? My dad coming home in two weeks. Jin coming back in a month + our Vietnam trip too!

What was your favorite television show as a child? Spongebob.

Are you afraid of insects? Yes.

Are you cold-natured? I can be, especially when not in the mood.

How old were you when you got your first pet? I was around 5 or 6 when we were first allowed to take care of goldfish.

Did you / do you enjoy high school? I liked some bits, hated others (mostly the teachers).

What would you say was your favorite age? The years I was 16 (2014) and 23 (2021).

What annoys you most about social networking? The constant bickering, aka TWITTER. I have used that garbage site 200% less because all that's left there now are stan accounts who should be imprisoned with all the hate speech and death threats they spew. TOUCH GRASS

Are you the center of attention most of the time? No, and I stay away from it most of the time.

What are you currently reading? Not reading anything but the next on my list is The Midnight Library.

When did you last go to the library? Yeesh. Five years ago.

Are you ill at the moment? Yeah, I've been a bit panicky with my health recently... I had food poisoning but the side effects have been lasting a week when my past experiences have only lasted 24 hours at most, so I've been on edge. I'm still not feeling 100% confident that everything is back to normal now so I'd still consider myself ill.

Do people tease you about anything? No, not really.

How late did you stay up last night and why? 3 AM. I was playing Rhythm Hive and was working towards a goal I told myself I needed to achieve before turning in, so that's why I ended up staying up that late haha.

Have you ever written poetry? Yes. I've been revisiting it recently. All of it is trash but it's for my eyes only so it's whatevs.

Curtains or shades? Shades.

How many people have you spoken to in the last hour? Zero.

Do you tend to text a lot? Not really. I just have days where I text more than usual, but it's not consistent.

Ever lost a great best friend? Sure.

What is your favorite kind of flower? Peonies.

Do you own any guns? Never.

What would you say is your favorite book of all-time? I don't have one yet.

Do you think you’re living a good life? I am definitely more fortunate than the average Filipino.

What’s your least favorite part of the day? 5 PM - 7 PM feels loneliest for me for some reason, especially on Sundays.

Are you an over-achiever? I am a perfectionist, but I wouldn't call myself an overachiever.

Have you ever won an award for a speech? Nah.

Do you tend to curse a lot? Yes.

Have you ever played on the Ouija board? No but would love to try it for the shits and giggles.

Do you sleepwalk? I've done it once or twice as a kid, but it never happened again.

Have you ever slept on the floor before? Yes.

Are you a fan of public displays of affection? It's fine, but it becomes annoying when you start getting in the way.

When did you last attend a yard sale? Over a decade ago would be a safe guess.

Do you wish your life were simpler or more interesting? Neither. I feel like at this point of my life I've hit the perfect balance of simple yet fun from time to time; and I've also learned to stop comparing my life to those of others, especially if their lives seem more eventful than mine. If that's what they're happy with, so be it – I am also just as content with keeping my life more lowkey now.

What goals do you wish to accomplish tomorrow? Just survive the day without a client complaint, which is really the goal every work day.

When is your birthday? April 21.

Which is worse: going blind or deaf? I couldn't say, but also I feel like it's a bit inconsiderate to be like "oh having this disability would be SO AWFUL wow my life would be OVER" so casually when people with these disabilities very much exist and are living their lives every single day and I imagine them having to experience people going "man if *I* was blind I would just fucking DIE" has got to suck < Very well said. I'm in no place to assume and make comparisons.

What was the best part of today? We went out to celebrate Mother's Day and I took my family to lunch out in Barcino + I surprised my mom and grandma with roses :) I already gave my mom a pre-Mother's Day gift by getting her a shit ton of curtains a week ago lol, so I was telling both myself + my family that I might not be able to have anything planned for Mother's Day itself because I wanted to save...

Until I thought, screw it. It's my mom's day, and this only happens once a year, and money will always come back. So out to lunch we went and she got the flowers she wanted to get too.

Do you attempt to stay away from drama? Yeah. Such a waste of time. My instant reaction to drama is to resolve it, if ever I am involved.

What liquid did you last drink? Peanut butter latte.

Do you ever prefer to be alone? That is my preference these days, yes.

Have you ever had a deadly animal as a pet? Nope.

Favorite Disney movies? Toy Story 1-4 and Tangled.

Have you ever been to the beach? Many times.

If you have, how many times have you been? More times than I can count.

What was your dream occupation at age ten? I wanted to be a writer.

Are you terrified at the idea of weight-gain? No.

Do you drink a lot of water? Yes.

Does your room have carpet or hard-wood floors? Hardwood. Carpet flooring is not a practice here, unless you're in a hotel.

Do you take naps daily? Nope.

Who were you named after? My name was only inspired/lifted from someone, but I wouldn't say I was named after that person specifically – my parents knew next to nothing about said someone haha. Anyway, that person would be the singer Robyn.

Do you plan on traveling this spring or summer? We don't have your four seasons but anyway yes we have a Vietnam trip slated for June, whatever season that falls under.

Do you know anyone who is colorblind? As far as I know, no.

Have you ever been a teacher’s pet? No.

What is your absolute favorite hobby? Going to museums and watching documentaries.

How many times a day do you brush your teeth? Two.

Ever been to a tanning bed before? Nope. Don't need to.

Are you satisfied with your financial stability? I am, but it could still be better.

Who is your favorite actor / actress? Kate Winslet.

Are your nails painted? Nope.

What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to someone? I'm honestly not sure. I've had very mean things said to me so I've used those moments to vow to never do the same to anyone. I'm definitely very careful with the words I say, and I've even been told at work that even when I mean to be pissed, I still sound motherly lol.

Do you ever accidentally talk to inanimate objects? Yeah, especially the classic saying sorry to tables and mannequins when I walk into them haha.

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? OH I had this peanut butter frozen pie at a restaurant I went to recently and it was the Greatest Thing on Earth. My standard for ice cream is now ruined because of it hahah.

Have you ever kissed someone of the same gender? Yes.

Do you receive any hate mail? No, lmao.

Have you ever sent a letter in the mail? I don't think I have.

If you could, would you have a pen pal? Nope.

What color are the pants you’re wearing? White.

Have you ever had a stalker? No.

What is your life philosophy? This is directly lifted from the Genius explanation of TXT's Skipping Stones: "It is about the shift to self-acceptance when one day you will no longer be tough on yourself and instead meet yourself where you’re at."

I felt very overwhelmed when I first came across it, because it was the first time I realized that this kind of thinking resonates with me now. I was so used to hating myself and being disappointed with the person that I was, being disappointed with the progress I (thought I) was barely making – that I didn't even realize that I was slowly letting go of those tendencies and was actually unconsciously being softer with myself now. Encountering those words made me realize I am now okay with whoever I am and whatever I have achieved, and that I can just go from here.

Who last sent you a goodnight text message? Nobody.

Do you own any clothes that are your favorite color? A few, but tbh purple is not my best color so I don't plan to have a lot of purple pieces.

Have you ever been in a hot tub before? I don't think so.

What’s your favorite comedy movie? White Chicks.

In which year were you born? 1998.