#in my defense i drew this concept 3 different times before giving up and coloring it in

[psychicthepsychic-daily]

he has standards okay

[kinsbin]

Quick to Anger

Title: Quick To Anger Ship: Alexys/John Doe [Joker] [Self Insert/Canon] Word Count: 2038 Summary: John and Alexys go out on a date together, only to meet someone from John’s past that makes them a bit tense. Alexys remembers that she gets angry easily at the wrong time, and John is just awed that anyone would defend him.

A/N: A commission for @bad-blue-moon-rising​ again! Love you darl <3

Life since Alexys had almost been...good.

She had shown him a love that no one else had really done before. Sure, Bruce Wayne was a good friend and a brother amongst brothers, and Harley was very beautiful when she had been part of his life, but they were nothing compared to the woman standing at his side in the present. Her smile lit up his heart more than fireworks or jokes told at just the right moment. John had practically memorized the shape of Alexys’ lips from when they pouted to the cute half-smile she did when she was trying to stay serious and not laugh at a joke he had just whispered to her too hard. From the way her long, smooth hair felt twirled between his fingertips to the shade of her blue eyes during a sunset...One could say that, yeah, Alexys was definitely good for the man known as John Doe.

She was better than Harley...at least.

It had been a concept that had taken him some time to come to term with. With Alexys’ help, it rang true in the back of his mind that the woman known as Harley Quinn was less than an ideal partner for him in an amalgamation of ways. Together they had gotten so much done, they had helped him to discover just who he was meant to be, and he could never truly hate her for that reason alone. Without Harley, he was not the Joker. He never would have been. Now, however, he was the Joker without her at his side. He was the Joker with a different woman to support him, her hugs warmer than the sharp words exchanged between him and the previous one. Harley was like burning a candle on both ends, constant progress but never any true love. Alexys was like a bonfire, steady and bright and overall warmer than the simple stick of wax could ever provide.

Sometimes it was true that he wondered what life would be like had he chosen to stay with Harley rather than Alexys. If they had separated or not met before Harley had completely taken control over his life...Alexys often said that he shouldn’t think about those things, of course. That he should let her die in the past so that his mind and heart could truly move forward. He wished that he could take that advice from her, truly he did, but abuse was a powerful thing. It hurt both ends, but, certainly one more than the other. There was that one heavy and sick part of him that seemed to want to cling to the past like a spider to a web. LIke a fly trapped in that spider web, waiting in fear for its possible death...but not knowing if the spider was even there.

The night had started with this thought in his mind for no other reason than it was there. Alexys had done her best to shoo it away with kisses and words of encouragement, of course, as the two of them dressed for their planned date to a well-known local casino (a gathering place for some of Gotham’s more famous crime syndicates, but, of course that little detail was besides the point) for no other reason than one of the floors of it had an amazing arcade. They walked into the area, hand in hand, while eyes lingered carefully on their backs but never at their fronts. John’s flash of eyes and eerie grin was enough to make most divert their attention away from him. As his fame grew from being the Joker, so did their fear. It was kind of nice.

Nice up until they saw her.

John had stopped walking once he had recognized her. The diamonds painted neatly on her eyes were a beacon of remembrance for him. Memories flashed blue and black and red like the uneven ombre of her hair as she laughed with another group of villains, the mallet she loved to carry resting on the ground as she used it’s handle as a crutch to lean on casually. Hips jutting out, she as usual made her outfit look stunning. Guilt flooded his stomach in the fact that he dared think of her like that still. Attractive. Pretty. Out of his league.

She always made sure that he knew that last one.

Alexys furrowed her brow as he stopped, hand squeezing his own as she prepared to ask him just what was wrong, but, the words died on her lips as she followed his gaze. Her eyes settled on the same woman he was staring at. Her own body tensed up, hair bristling on end as she stared down the woman who had not yet seen them. Alexys had met Harley only once. It only took that one time for her to see just what she was doing to John. Never having confronted her, however, she had simply taken to gently guiding the man away from the other woman as best as she could without making either of them feel too guilty over the whole, complicated situation. It was a busy and tactile movement to get away from abusers and, Alexys promised, she had done her best.

Yet, somehow, she had found her way back to them. Alexys tightened her grip on John’s now shaking hand, giving it a gentle tug as she leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

“Come on, let’s just go somewhere else. We can see a movie instead? That arcade down the street a few blocks has a DDR machine.” She enticed John with as much as she could, promising him that they didn’t have to stay in the area if the sight of Harley made him too uncomfortable. Promising that, if they had to, they would be able to leave and forget the sight. John didn’t respond, however, and simply kept staring. He was hesitant, and it was natural. Part of him wanted to say something to her, but, the other part knew Alexys was right. He swallowed, the motion thick and difficult as he opened his mouth to respond, but, closed it quickly when Harley’s head raised itself up to lock eyes with them. She had felt herself being watched and, upon noticing the two, her own eyes narrowed and a dangerous smirk broke itself across her lips.

“Fuck.” Alexys cursed as the other woman excused herself from the group she had been entertaining and swayed up to them both, the bump in her hips a little too excited to be a casual meet and greet with old acquaintances.

There was no time to avert the situation nor was there a chance to hurry and leave, for the crowds of people surrounding them were too thick to properly push through. Harley’s gaze was like a hawk on them as she approached them both, hands on hips and head tilted to the side as she looked the both of them up and down. John averted his gaze unsurely, but Alexys held the other woman’s with a clear look of repressed anger as her firsts clenched at her side and the hand holding John’s tightened sharply and possessively around his own.

“Well, well, well,” Harley spoke with sarcastic delight as she finally acknowledged their presence fully, “Look what the cat dragged in! A funny guy and his little homewrecker. Fancy seeing you here, Mistah J~.”

John’s eyes narrowed dangerously, both at the way she spoke his past nickname and the way she referred to Alexys. Alexys bristled for the opposite reasons. Her mere existence was a strain on John’s psyche and she knew it, the hostility radiating from the shorter female was practically wave-like in its contingency. The very sight of her glare made Harley’s smile grow wide with amusement as she reached out, purposefully stroking John’s other arm with her own in a feathery and light touch that made him shudder.

“We were enjoying a night out,” Alexys spoke through gritted teeth, “Together.”

“And you can’t enjoy it still with me around? Why, I’m all up and upset about that!” Harley rolled her eyes with a laugh at the both of them, leaning again on her mallet as she hummed a light tune to herself that made John’s mouth twitch into a line. Harley’s eyes held his gaze for a moment, deep and unsettling, before she spoke again with a low, darker tone in her voice:

“You can’t tell me you’re not happy to see magain, John, can you?”

It was Alexys who broke the silence that followed, putting her smaller body between her boyfriend and his ex with a fire in her eyes that made them glow a darker, more stormy color than they had ever managed to become. Her teeth gritted together so tight she felt like her jaw was going to burst as she let go of John’s hand so that her fists could clench up at her sides. Both Harley and John’s eyes widened as she pushed herself forward, getting into Harley’s space with a finger jabbed right at her chest.

“He can’t, but I can,” Alexys snarled out with teeth bared for a fight, “He ISN’T happy to see you. Neither of us are. You know why? Because you’re a manipulative, stuck up ASSHOLE who used him for what he was rather than loving him for WHO he was. This man is one of the brightest, funniest, and sweetest people I’ve met in my LIFE and the fact that you, someone he loved and trusted, fucked him over how you did because you saw him as  TOOL? That-” Alexys jabbed her finger hard on Harley’s body as she glared sharply, teeth gritted, “THAT pisses me off.”

Harley stared at Alexys, eyes wide in shock for a few moments before her brows furrowed into anger. It triggered something in John through his shock at the defense, a hand reaching out to touch his girlfriend’s shoulder.

“A-Alexys-”

She turned her head, catching his pleading look, before taking a deep breath and glaring at Harley one last time, her hand rising up to show her a middle finger before gripping John’s hand and tugging him through the crowd, disappearing away from the line of muttered and snarky curses Harley threw at them behind their backs.

They moved. They didn’t stop moving until Alexys had gotten them out of the building and ran down the street. John didn’t say anything to stop her until they were about a couple of blocks away, to which he dug his feet into the floor and called her name once more. A few more tries. Finally a shout and, at last, Alexys’ feet stopped. Her breath drew itself out, hot and ragged and slow as she tried to keep her breathing under control.

“Are you alri-”

“Do you hate me? For that?”

John reeled back in shock, eyes widening as she faced him. Tears warmed her eyes and fell down her face, brows furrowed in remaining anger as she bared her teeth and looked away to try and control the shaking of her muscles.

“I’m sorry,” She choked out breathily, “I got angry and...I know it’s ugly when I’m angry but! She treated you so bad and said such awful things and wanted to take you from me again and I just-”

John reached out, hands touching at her face and wiping away the tears that fell down. Alexys felt her eyes widen as she stared at him, his own gaze soft and smile bright on his lips as it always was before leaning down to kiss her. She accepted it, admiring the sweet taste he had while he took in her salty taste of tears and anger, as if trying to take it out of her and put it into himself instead. When he pulled away, he made sure his head rested on hers.

“Don’t ever think I’d hate you for anything like that,” John laughed, “It was...kind of cool how you stood up for me, really. I like it a lot...I like you a lot, way more than her. I promise.”

Alexys sighed in response, her hand touching his and her eyes shutting to allow the rest of the angered tears to pass through her body. She didn’t always have to be happy, she realized, because even if she wasn’t…

He could smile enough for both of them sometimes. And she could defend him in return.

[6sider]

Blood Is Thicker Than Estus: A Bloodborne Comparison

I treasure the souls games. Although I still find Dark Souls to be my overall favorite of the franchise, it having the large interconnected world that drew so many to continue playing, there are some aspects of the other games that really differentiate themselves from the first game. Dark Souls 2 having the upgraded combat mechanics, and Dark Souls 3 combining some of the mechanics that Demon's Souls had into the new gameplay. After what was said, you can probably tell that I was very excited for Bloodborne (released in 2015 by From Software), with it being a new souls game and adding what the game would be known for by most souls fans, speed. Knowing me, I was absolutely enthralled by the base game and DLC, that I was itching to talk about it. Although the combat, atmosphere, and music in Bloodborne is polished to a mirror sheen, there are some shortcomings that I feel can potentially dampen the overall experience. Before I go into the parts I did not enjoy however, I will go over some of the aspects of the game that I thought were executed properly.

Atmosphere in the souls series is almost if not always done well, whether it is a hub area that gives off a calm, comfortable feeling, or a ruined town that shows the player a more oppressive atmosphere. Bloodborne is no exception, as the chaotic ruins of Yharnam exude a strong sense of loneliness and uses the washed out color palette to make the world of Bloodborne feel depressing to run through, in a good way. The buildings in the town and the clothes of the player and the NPCs show that the game has heavy themes of gothic horror, which is a theme I really enjoy seeing in video games. Although later in the game, the areas you visit and the set pieces that the player discovers show that there is a second part to the themes in this game, in the form of cosmic horror. Cosmic horror was a very interesting concept to add into the game, as it adds subtlety to the more strange or outlandish things the character finds that show other, higher beings of power at work. Music in the souls games do not appear often, so there is not much to say, the only times I have found where the music was noticeable is during boss fights, and when the player is in the hub area of the game: The Hunter's Dream. The music is classic From Software fare, with the boss fights having intense music that increases the tension of the fight, and soothing but slightly eerie melodies of places like The Hunter's Dream.

The combat in Bloodborne is what most people come to see, as they are curious how the slow and methodical combat of Dark Souls holds up against a mentality that promotes high risk, high reward tactics with a heavy dose of speed added to the mix. The high risk, high reward aspects in question are the new parry system, and the rally system. In Bloodborne, it was clear that From Software wanted the player to build towards a very fast, aggressive build that dodges through enemy attacks and retaliates with quick strikes, as the shields and other defensive options were not strong at all. To aid this mindset, the rally system was utilized to make the player attack enemies more when they are injured, as they have a small window of time to regain their health by attacking and leeching life from the enemy. This makes the player have another decision to think about during combat, as they have to decide between using a blood vial which is a non-refreshable healing item, or taking a risk and winning back their health with the rally system. The parry system is based off of the projectile weapon that the player uses in their offhand, and has to be used right when an enemy is starting to attack, only then are they able to riposte the enemy, gaining back any potential health via rally, and dealing heavy damage. Missing the window will result in the player being left vulnerable for enemy retaliation. The speed of the game comes from the relentless bosses and almost instant response from inputs, especially evasive dashes, which are probably something the player is going to use the most, so it is good that the controls feel responsive. Most bosses in Bloodborne have a very fast, hard-hitting moveset which often overwhelms the player at first, but after playing for a while is not very difficult at all, so that perceived speed to players can really add to the difficulty of the game, while making even the veterans of the franchise have some trouble on their first playthroughs because of the drastic difference of speed.

One of the strongest points of the first Dark Souls is the large amounts of replay value the game holds in the form of different builds. There are plenty of different things to play around with in the game, varying from fast or slow weapons, whether or not to use spells, pyromancies, or miracles, what type of weapon you want to use, if you want your character to be defensive or offensive, and how you increase your stats. Bloodborne suffers a bit in this respect due to the emphasis on high speed gameplay. Slower weapons will get you punished more often, use more stamina, and don't let you rally as much health as faster weapons do. With my multiple playthroughs of the game, regardless of what build I attempted to play with, I always ended up swaying towards a build with a fast weapon that scaled with my chosen stats. I feel the reason for this is because the hunter's tools (the equivalent of spells in Bloodborne) do not give a strong enough performance to be useful in most combat situations.

The blood gem system adds a small amount of customization to the weapons you will be using throughout the game. Games with this kind of customization can benefit from it by having a higher amount of depth in the combat, but the bonuses you can receive from these gems do not do very much at all. The boosts you can get from gems vary from straight damage increases, to elemental damage, to damage against a certain type of enemy. It really does not feel like a good customization system, because it does not add much to the actual depth of the gameplay in general.

The chalice dungeons are optional, sometimes randomly generated areas with enemies to kill and materials to collect. At the end of each chalice, there is an additional chalice to obtain that will unlock more areas with a overall higher difficulty. The chalice dungeons seem fun at first, but the repetitive nature of the dungeons eventually start to really bore players. If the chalice dungeons had actual design put into them, with more tilesets to improve the variety of what the player sees, it would be much better for the overall experience.

I loved the time I spent with Bloodborne, as the positives really outweighed the negatives of my experience. The atmosphere, music, and combat really kept me playing all the way through to the very end, but the poor build diversity, customization, and chalice dungeons make me feel that I won't pick this game up again in a long while. The game is fairly cheap for the enjoyment I got from it, running at a price of $20 for the base game, and $20 for the DLC. I highly recommend anyone who is a fan of the Dark Souls franchise to pick it up and give it the attention it deserves.

[shame-on-nyall]

Ok, if you asked this or you are a friend of this person or agree with this person, please, I beg you, unfollow me immediately after reading this post. I’m not even sure why I have more than 5 followers anyway, lmao, but okay, hear me out.

First of all! When an artist sketches a character and does not color in their skin it does not mean they think the character is white or even light-skinned! This only would have mattered if the artist posted a finished colored piece and McCree’s skin was still much lighter than his default model’s skin tone, and even so, one could still argue that they color picked from the other much lighter-skinned models because those exist too. So already this ask is starting on shaky ground.

Furthermore, what about the drawing makes one think McCree was white? I, an artist, saw a sketch in the artist’s particular style, which doesn’t have that much difference in key facial features between an Asian and a white person, so for all I can tell, McCree could be part Asian, part white, part Hispanic, part Native and part black, and uhh, Hanzo could be part white and part Australian aborigine and part Pacific Islander. Like, that’s just this person’s style???

Next, why couldn’t McCree be a white person? I know everyone believes he must be part native or have Latin ancestry because that is a reasonable thing to believe if the character is born in the Southwest United States, and I believe that, too, as a person living in the Southwest. But I also kinda have assumed that his father or grandfather or whoever must have British ancestry as well to explain the last name McCree (unless he just made up his name, also possible.) So sure, he is most likely not 100% European Caucasian mayonaise white if he was born in the Southwest United States decades from now, but again, we don’t know that, and sometimes people choose to identify as white even when they aren’t technically so, so there’s that as well.

Another thing, drawing a skinny and busty genderbend with no flaws is an artist opinion. Anyone can interpret a genderbend of a fictional character any way they want, it’s not wrong or right because guess what, it’s not based on a character model that currently exists, it’s someone’s imagination. Even if the genderbend model does exist, it can be an alternate universe! I have every reason to believe that young McCree is skinny (well, he seems broad-shouldered but fairly lean as a young man) and extrapolate that to a female version. He also had both arms until at least 25 years or so, so I also didn’t have to draw him with his cyborg arm. Plus, it’s a sketch, I sometimes forget tattoos and scars on a sketch because I’m excited to post the sketch!!! I try not to, but sometimes I do! I’m very excitable!

Also, this whole ask was worded in such an arrogant and entitled manner to a person whom I believe speaks Korean, who was so disturbed enough by it to delete their post so I had to go their twitter to find the image to use as reference for female leggies. Would not a “I’d love to see a 37 year old female McCree in your style with cyborg arm and really cool bullet scars” or something similar be a considerate and graceful grown-up thing to add?

And last but not least, how is harrassing a fanartist who drew this art in their spare time for free and shared it to the English-speaking fandom on Tumblr helping the cause of feminism and equal rights for all in any way? Imagine instead of smugly hitting send on this rude as heck ask, you took a deep breath, looked out the window and considered:

1. writing a check to a local women’s shelter or clinic

2. volunteering to be a big brother or sister to children who need assistance

3. walking dogs at an animal shelter 

4. messaging a friend who has been struggling with school or work and letting them know you support them 

5. writing a letter to an editor of a fashion magazine saying that you hope they include more plus-size models or models with scars and skin discolorations and that they are doing a good job not photoshopping Beyonce’s skin lighter, etc

6. literally anything else!!! anything else would positively affect how women and people of color and people with disabilities are treated in this real world instead of maybe making almost no difference at all in the online fandom of one video game

Look, I’ve been there. I once was a 19 year old university student, exposed to new ideas about justice and fairness and diversity. My little close-minded sheltered brain was suddenly opened to concepts I admired and wanted to desperately share. But I was poor, had no transportation, no friends at college, and the only way I could communicate was through the internet (Myspace and uhh... deviantart? Livejournal?) I’ve said things like this before and years later, I wish I hadn’t because I sounded like a fucking asshole. I meant well, and I thought everyone could perceive my good intentions, so I thought it gave me the right to say whatever. But I know now that it probably hurt a lot more people than it helped, because I was losing allies, alienating would-be friends, giving social justice a bad name with my rudeness and unwillingness to consider other people’s thoughts because I was so sure I was right. I didn’t know back then, I was extremely introverted and somewhere on the autism spectrum, I had no experience expressing myself carefully or effectively online, and no one told me what I should have done instead. (in my partial defense, the internet was a new thing back then.) So that’s why I’m telling everyone now.

Internet activism really helps your ego, and sometimes you want and need that. But helping out in real life is much better in the long run, even it’s harder and slower work. If you really want to criticize a fanartist or fanfic writer because you can’t help anyone in real life, then go ahead. But get your facts straight, be an adult, make that person proud to have learned something from you instead of ashamed and bewildered.

Anyway, I was really pissed and needed to get that off my chest lmao. I did a lot of work at women’s shelters and interned at Planned Parenthood so I get really angry and defensive when artists who are most likely female and not white or cishet get these rude af criticisms because I know they came from a good place. But like... Nazi ideology came from a good place, too. Comments like these censor and intimidate, and they don’t censor and intimidate the fat cats in Hollywood and the old out-of-touch men in capital cities, they censor and intimidate people who struggle to be accepted, people like us.

Just think twice, my dudes.

Ok, I’m done. Back to shimada bros content... later. Thank you for reading. Unfollow me now. Unless you really want to stay on this train lmao.

[cynthiabryanuk]

You Just Choose Musings on the Religions of Thailand and the NFL

Wat Hup Ta Khrot temple left an indelible mark on my psyche. Not only because it was the first major temple complex we visited in Thailand, but it also introduced me to Thai polytheism. The idea that different gods and even religions could be worshiped together, side by side in peace and harmony simultaneously baffled and inspired me with their freedom to choose.

The freedom of choice isn’t limited to this one temple or time, it’s present in all of Thai culture and history. For example, the Unesco World Heritage site of Sukhothai has over 193 temples excavated and restored. These temples have Hindu and Buddhist beliefs living side by side. Choosing, one or many gods to follow is available from the lowest peasant to the king himself. In the ancient capital Ayutthaya, a popular attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the kings demonstrated Hindu, Buddhist, and local spiritual belief simultaneously. Ayutthaya was named after the Ayodhya, the city in India that is the birthplace of the Hindu god Rama. The Ayutthayan kings were named after incarnations of Hindu gods like Vishnu or Rama, but they were also considered Bodhisattva. Even the ancient kings could be both Hindu gods and still quest to become Buddha.

My narrow-minded Western brain had a hard time handling the dichotomy of choice. I thought Game of Thrones taught me everything I needed to know about polytheism. In the show, the kingdoms of the realm worshiped different gods. When strangers enter the land, the kings would chop their heads off and burn them at the stake. This was nothing like Thailand. There we found something completely different, delightful and accepting. There was freedom to choose, not choose, or even choose everything. That day in the temple complex changed me. We walked by enchanted logs that Thai spiritualists believed housed wood spirits. The believers left ribbons and flowers as an offering to the spirits who lived there. The temple courtyard overflowed with statues of Hindu gods and famous Buddhist monks, each with their own alms box in front. There was even an altar for Rahu who was, in fact, a demon that Vishnu cut in half for drinking the milk of life but, due to the milk’s power, his head and torso were immortal. Not to be outdone, the temple shop sold amulets believed to have magical powers. Literally, this was one stop shopping for all religions in Thailand. My first thought was amazement at all of these different gods, demons, spirits, monks and even religions living side by side. My second was – how do you choose? I asked our guide – Tick- who replied: “You just choose”.

You just choose… What a liberating concept. Then Tick continued – “It doesn’t matter which god you worship because it’s always the same thing. You offer a gift, ask for a favor in return for a promise, and then fulfill your promise.” I struggled to understand how this could be so simple and universal. I tested Tick’s theory with the one Christian God I grew up with. After all, they are all the same, right? Instead of a donation box in front of each idol, we passed a collection plate in church so there was an offering. Also, in Christianity, there is a long tradition of asking for favors from God. Jesus said in Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” Did we have to make additional offerings in our prayers to God? In Catholicism, your priest might suggest contrition as part of the confession, usually involving some number of hail marys. In all cases, humility and belief are part of the prayer ritual. I was beginning to see what Tick is saying.

I had more western memories to draw from. After my Christian upbringing, I branched into enlightened spiritualism during my college years. Did I have a prayer ritual there too? Did I follow the same patterns without any gods? I would set my intention and visualize that intention coming true. Sometimes I would use meditation mantras or intention boards to voice these wishes to the world. Is this like banging a gong at a temple to release your prayers to the world? Maybe there is a pattern here. Maybe Tick is right, maybe you can just choose, but how would a typical Thai person choose their god? I can’t speak for all of Thailand, but I got to know Tick well during our time with him. Tick operated on many levels. On one hand, he had a high respect for traditional Thai cultures and beliefs. For example, he became a Buddhist monk to please his mother. True, his monkhood only lasted one month, he wasn’t a fan of sleeping on the floor or eating bland food, yet even a month of monkhood made his mother very proud. Tick also loved western culture. As a teen, he had a pair of designer Harley Davidson jeans from the US that was very expensive and hard to get. He got in a minor motorcycle accident. He was bleeding and needed stitches but he knew the first thing the paramedics would do would be to cut off his jeans. Instead, he chose to skip the hospital and save those jeans. For the next month, he cleaned and bandaged wounds at home, but his designer jeans were safe.

His particular combination of east and west, new and old, gave me another way to understand the freedom of choice. I noticed Tick’s bike jersey he was wearing at the temple. It was a custom-made 49er fan art for Joe Montana saying “Bring him home”. How did a Thai guide, who has never been to America, just choose Joe Montana and the 49ers? At first, I thought there was a deep, philosophical and football explanation relating to the history of the West Coast Offense. Before Bill Walsh and the 49ers, football was a one on one battle of individual superheroes like Lynn Swann, Franco Harris or Mean Joe Green. They used their physical dominance to win individual battles and sway the course of a game with one immaculate reception. Walsh, Montana and the 49ers changed all of that. Montana would throw to a spot determined by a weakness in the opposing defense. His receivers, like Jerry Rice, would have to see the same weakness and choose to run to the right spot. It was the system that broke down opposing defenses and when it worked it was unstoppable. The collective teamwork, planning and coordination of the all the pieces led to victory and not an individual battle won or lost I drew an immediate analogy to Thailand culture and how the collective work and cooperation of the country would bring success and happiness. I was wrong. Tick said Joe Montana looked good and won a lot of football games and that was why he liked him. It was simple, sweet, profound, and got me thinking.

Maybe Thai people picked their gods like we pick our football teams. Sometimes a team or god is on a winning streak and the fans take notice. Other times, they are just your hometown favorites that you grew up with. Every temple we passed in Thailand had a statue of a famous local monk that had made a name for himself for the local worshipers. Other times, you might just like Joe Montana’s blue eyes or Vishnu’s blue skin for pure aesthetics. There is probably a reason why NFL teams work so hard on their logos and Hindu gods are so colorful. More and more in this world, it seems like there is a tendency to judge people for their personal choices. Perhaps it doesn’t matter which god you pray to or football team you root for. Since, for all intents and purpose, they are the same. There is no reason to not enjoy the pageantry of the NFL or the splendor of an exotic temple, even if it isn’t your team playing or the gods you believe in. Accepting the freedom to choose gives a traveler the ability to enjoy the new and unique without judgment or prejudice, and at the end of the day, isn’t freedom of choice what it’s all about?

This post was written for Everything Everywhere by Ed and Jennifer Coleman of Coleman Concierge.

Source: http://tz2d.me/?c=cy

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