Autobiography in 5 short chapters [poem tag]

[doombuggy123]

I was waiting for the speaker to fill the hole.

[ChilyAnt]

Interesting how some of the social courses of (my) life can be explained so simply.

[dramlee01]

Another wonderfully constructed video. Great choice. In its ambiguity, it speaks to everyone. A technique, of course, that can be employed by the less scrupulous. To me, it spoke about being a scientist. Scientists make mistakes. Indeed, if you do not put yourself in the position to make mistakes you are unlikely to be pushing the boundary of your area of research. However, it can be said that good scientists are those who do not make the same mistake twice. Takes training though...

[TheraminTrees]

@dramlee01 Thanks. I appreciated the scientist parallel you found in the poem — and what springs to mind is when a scientist becomes over-involved in wanting a particular outcome, and overlooking biasses that are outside of his/her awareness.

[dramlee01]

@TheraminTrees It can be difficult to give up a cherished theory. Einstein and the cosmological constant, Pauling and vitamin C, among others, spring to mind.

[HamsterAtDawn]

I found the animation and music slightly perturbing but I liked the poem anyway.

[Prelude610]

Poem, with music - more intense.

[hardlinermusic]

What animation programme do you use?

[TheraminTrees]

@hardlinermusic Flash

[Poemsapennyeach]

Just great....faving this...!!

[Aracatamus]

I like this, but it isn't a poem. A string of sentences is not a poem by definition, although this particular collection of sentences can be said to be 'poetical'. But it is not a 'poem' in the true sense of the word. I like it though.

[Serieth]

@Aracatamus poem or not. ITS FUCKING SHIT. he missed the whole and now hes fuckin' Neo

[nactan]

@Aracatamus poem noun a literary composition that is given intensity by particular attention to diction (sometimes involving rhyme), rhythm, and imagery.

[Aracatamus]

@nactan 1. A piece of writing or an oral composition, often characterized by a metrical structure, in which the expression of feelings, ideas, etc., is typically given intensity or flavour by distinctive diction, rhythm, imagery, etc.; a composition in poetry or verse. OED definition.

[nactan]

@Aracatamus let the battle between lexicographers commence!!!

[nactan]

@Aracatamus and there's no such thing as the "true sense of the word" either.

[Aracatamus]

@nactan Yes there is, it's called a poem, retard.

[nactan]

@Aracatamus oh, so the true sense of the word poem is "poem".

[nactan]

@Aracatamus that clarifies just about everything, unfortunately.

[DjBjra]

Theramintrees, will you marry me so we can have an adult-adult relationship. No-homo

[esplin227]

Freaking amazing! I just turned 25 today and I was depressed for various reasons that I can't put in a 500 character comment but let me just say this is one of those rare moments when everything makes sense. I cant really put it into words but... I'm opening that savings account and I'm picking up my text book again. Your amazing TheraminTrees. Portia Nelson too. :)

[TheraminTrees]

@esplin227 Thanks for sharing this — it's heartening to hear that it gave you this lift. I think the poem's a very powerful work, and always seems to have the same freshness and inspiration, despite coming back to it scores of times. Cheers — and good luck! ;8)

[musosf]

Non-sequitur: I'm in London this week, PM or email me! :)

[TheraminTrees]

@musosf Shit — I totally missed this! I guess you didn't get the new email address I sent via PM — I was looking out for your name there. What a shame! Oh well, hope you had a top time. Maybe next time we'll get it together ;8(

[HeidiPGH]

I love this poem, and have it printed on my desk at work. I'm a business mentor, and have shared it with others. Now I'll be able to share your video, thanks!

[everettattebury]

@TheraminTrees I read a framed copy of this on my therapist's wall the first time I went for therapy. It's one of those things that I'll always keep.

I'd like to recommend you a poem. It's actually my favorite, even though it's in Portuguese, and I don't know any Portuguese: "A Morte Devagar" by Martha Medeiros.

[TheraminTrees]

@everettattebury Thank you for recommending 'A Morte Devagar' by Martha Medeiros — I googled for a translation, and what a beautiful piece of writing. Much appreciated.

[karlgamer]

I think it was a mistake to have the character facing a different direction on the last chapter. I believe that the last chapter is suppose to express that she is avoiding the street with the huge hole in it all together. If that's the case then she would likely be going the same direction just on a different street.

[cneajnad666]

Great! And I loved the music. :)

[TheraminTrees]

@cneajnad666 Thanks ;8)

[CavalloDiSpade]

@TheraminTrees what is that song?

[Prplfox]

really cool music

[TheraminTrees]

@Prplfox Cheers!

[Asylumescapee69]

I understand it was an autobiography, but I can't help that I feel like he should have done something to stop others from falling into that hole... you know, covered it over, placed a sign or cone... but when we're talking about alcohol, drugs, or gambling, what can a person do?

Had there been a cone, and he didn't ever fall in that hole, wouldn't he just end up finding another as though a deep internal drive to suffer?

[Jotto999]

Nice metaphor for an inability to avoid a self-destructive tendency. My most persistent hole is insomnia. It's my own bad habits that keep me up late and delay my circadian rhythm, and then it takes a long time to correct it again. And I've done this many times. And I still do it.

The hole should be filled or covered in an ideal situation, but oh that how difficult that can be. ;)

Good video!

[Raydienz]

To those of you criticising the simplicity of the poem, to quote the Dead Poet's Society...

"Begone, J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D!"

Learn to savour words and language. No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world.

[zapo147]

This may sound stupid, but this vid made me understand why people like poetry for the first time ever. Before I was just angered at how pretentious and blatantly pedantic poetry seemed to be, but I guess I never related to the poem. This one reminds me of my depression, very accurately. I fell twice though, I pretended I didn't see it coming just like Portia wrote, but I walked around it the third time I saw it. :D

[raby760]

I love all of your other videos, except this one.

[beetlecommathe]

WOW! Great choice!

Now I have to check out Portia Nelson's other work. This poem reminds me a little of Mark Strand (my favorite poet), and a little of TS Eliot, but her voice is definitely wholly her own. I'm gonna Facebook this :)

[Emessaine]

Thanks a lot my friend for all these beautiful things (material or immaterial things) in your videos.

[ZebaSzp]

Nice choice, Link.

I also like your song, by the way. You always make beautiful music. Is there (or will there be) a full version of it?

[DeeperBlueX16]

don't really get the poem, but i liked the music and the visuals.

[xyzllii]

Brilliant my dear boy...just brilliant..I mean it...except...could you give the address of that OTHER street ? Would be grateful... ;-)(

[TheraminTrees]

@xyzllii LOL — I think house prices in that street just went through the roof! ;8)

[GreatGig1]

Great animation and poem! Slow learner but at least the lesson was learned, which is the important thing...:-)

Fun, entertaining, and with a message! Must be a TheraminTrees video...:-) xoxoxo

[TheraminTrees]

@GreatGig1 Thanks Caylyn! ;8) I know poetry's got a terrible rep for so many people— certainly used to with me with the dismal, uninspired, inaccessible pieces we were subjected to at school. So I hope this whole poem tag thing has injected some new ideas about what poetry can be. xxxx

[AlabasterSage]

Thank you for exposing me to that. I've never bothered with poetry before but that one really touched me. I never knew it could be like that.

[ndyt]

I am in the hole right now. I can see how to get out... but I can't bring myself to do it.

[OuranianCyclops]

@ndyt Think about it like this, if you don't get out you'll die. Is the reason why you don't want to get out, bigger than yourself? No, because you are strong and you already know how to get out.

[jdh501]

I get the symbolism, but I don't like it. The ethical thing to do instead of walking around the hole is to cover it up so nobody else falls in. That would more adequately represent the ethics of the skeptical way of life. ;-)

[CleoTheSim]

@jdh501 Humans never learn unless they are allowed to fall into the holes. Covering up the hole does them a disservice.

[jdh501]

@CleoTheSim OK, I get what you're saying up to a point, but some experiences are best avoided. You can learn some things from others. That's what I meant.

[insanewarlock666]

how can you response to person who has only 200 views?

[TheraminTrees]

@insanewarlock666 I don't tend to take note of people's view counts

[insanewarlock666]

@TheraminTrees it looks very strange. respond has 1300 views and original only 250 that means that less than only 250 people understood what were you talking about.

[Landofjello]

@insanewarlock666 wow that's shallow.

[ZombieToaster]

@insanewarlock666 Dont be a view-whore. Lots of great users have almost no views.

[insanewarlock666]

@ZombieToaster do you really think that I care about views :D

[ZombieToaster]

@insanewarlock666 Read your previous comment on this video.

[insanewarlock666]

@ZombieToaster I thought you were talking about my views : |

[bCurious2]

Fabulous poem, wonderfully presented! Thanks for letting me discover it, it has already stuck with me, xxx

[TheraminTrees]

@bCurious2 Hey BC2! ;8) Hope you got my email ok the other day. It's a great poem isn't it. I really love her artless phrasing, that lets the absurdity of the situations she's describing speak for itself. xxxx

[papasitoman]

I really like the ´it is my fault´ part. It´s always interested me, that moment of consciousness, when a person sees clearly and does something about their depression, gets over a breakup, leaves an abusive partner, changes jobs, decides to lose weight etc. That particular moment of realization fascinates me . I guess it is a build up over time to a point where the change or realization is inevitable. But who can say?

Another great video! Loved the music too!

Cheers,

Papa

[TheraminTrees]

@papasitoman Thanks Papa. It's fascinating how something very simple can be pivotal a life-long negative habit. I used to be an 'almost' person — starting loads of projects and never finishing them. I'd indulge in a lot of analysis about my plight. Then I read a book which spoke, among other types, about 'almost' people and was electrified to see myself described. At the end it advised how to escape this. It said, simply: 'Finish what you start'. From that moment, I was 'almost' no more. ;8)

[papasitoman]

@TheraminTrees Hey there. Could you tell me the name and author of that book, please? I know for example that Malcolm Gladwell calls people ´dabblers´ when referring to people to kind of take one or two classes of something, and then stop and then start something else but never till the end. Please let me know!

Cheers,

Papa

[ChaoticSupernova]

Chapter 5: I walk down another street

... and then I get hit by a bus.

[ChaoticSupernova]

I suggest you should release all your music in full. Oh please please please?

[TheraminTrees]

@ChaoticSupernova I've been looking for ways to do this. It probably needs a burst of concerted time and energy devoted to collating all the info I need to set that up — some technical swotting!

[2bsirius]

Loved it!!!

[TheraminTrees]

@2bsirius I'm glad — part of what I like about this tag is that it's sifted out so many gems from an art form that can seem over-laden with all kinds of mystifications and pretensions.

[gri189]

Simple yet thought provoking. This applies in countless situations. Great choice of music; fits vey well :)

[TheraminTrees]

@gri189 Thanks gri!

[MeansDarling]

Mistakes, and how we deal with them. Nice.

[trentBowie]

Wow. I like metaphor Ms. Nelson conveys. It could be about anything. The first thing that comes to mind is the concept of hell. I also love the music you composed as well.

Bravo!!!

[TheraminTrees]

@trentBowie Thanks. Ms Nelson's metaphor is great isn't it — elegant, concise, and accessible.

[Beakywitch]

I see myself in that poem, lol. Great food for thought, thanks for sharing. Beaky.

[TheraminTrees]

@Beakywitch Thanks Beaky. ;8) There appear to be some folks around who feel this stuff is alien — who never repeat mistakes, let alone sometimes knowingly re-enter traps. I'm not one of them, but I'm looking at that.

[Keeban3]

Is that about addiction?

[airandfingers]

@Keeban3 It's about mistakes. Funny that you mention addiction, because I was thinking specifically about a very different type of mistake - poor relationship choices. I realized that the poem can be applied to many kinds of mistakes. Awareness of these five typical steps will may not allow us to avoid falling into the first hole, but we can react to it as the narrator eventually reacted to the third hole.

[flangleelgnalf]

arg, i am much too literal of a person to understand poetry. i only figured out what this poem meant by looking at the comments >.>

[7eeeeeees]

nice!

[patricknelson]

Nice name. Nice peom.

[onyxman8]

Poem reminds me of a bad job I once had.

[1aaronaaron1]

what?

[wearealltubes]

I quite like it down the hole, har-har.

[Maxe07]

good video, i specially enjoyed the music.

[TheraminTrees]

@Maxe07 Thanks.

[ZarlanTheGreen]

In my opinion, poems are crap.

But there are exceptions.

This is one.

[ShallowThoughts]

@ZarlanTheGreen Actually Zarlan, no, that was crap.

[crazypills2]

What a great choice. If you told me you were going to do animation for this, I would have said, "don't bother." However, watching your animated video was actually more powerful than just reading the poem itself. What a nice surprise.

[TheraminTrees]

@crazypills2 Thanks Steve. I think whatever I'd chosen, I'd've done some animation — any excuse to fiddle around in Flash. Flash and Logic [music studio] are two applications I can immerse myself in for hours to the exclusion of everything — even food!

[deepashtray]

Holes suck.

[ShallowThoughts]

@deepashtray You're thinking of vortices. Vortices suck. If you fall in a hole, it's your own damned fault.

[deepashtray]

@ShallowThoughts Can't spend your life staring at the ground: )

[amazingbollweevil]

Music really made it for me.

[zapo147]

You didn't write this poem did you?

[TheraminTrees]

@zapo147 Portia Nelson was an American singer/actor, b.1920 d.2001.

[DigitizedSelf]

Ehm, okay... I don't get what's that fantastic about this :S. There's a guy who's really slow at learning not to fall in deep holes?

[TheraminTrees]

@DigitizedSelf It's talking about self-deception, ulterior motivation, self-destructive urges etc.: the person knowingly falls in, which is a very different scenario from being slow. The poem invites us to look at what's going on when we knowingly step into traps.

[DigitizedSelf]

@TheraminTrees Okay, I gathered as much and I accept that this can indeed be part of human nature - what I don't get, however, is why the "poem" is considered fantastic by some :-/. I honestly just consider it unimaginative and rather boring (despite the fact that it does point out some of the more erratic parts of human behaviour).

As a side note I really DO consider people with such behaviour rather slow (at least when exaggerated like that in the video ;-).

Anyway, generally nice vids mate!

[TheraminTrees]

@DigitizedSelf You consider the kinds of experiences portrayed in the poem as indicative of slowness — that would seem to create a distance from the poem, rather than a resonance. It's therefore completely understandable that this poem doesn't do much for you. For others, who make connections with personal experience, there is a resonance — what that resonance is about will vary. It's therefore completely understandable that this poem speaks to them.

[DigitizedSelf]

@TheraminTrees Point taken - nicely put :-)

...although I question the cause and effect of my impression; seems more likely to me that the lack of identification causes me to regard the character as being slow rather than the opposite (meh, details)

[rozeboosje]

That's a great one.

[bonnie43uk]

I wish they would put clearly marked warning signs around these big holes, something should be done about this before someone gets seriously hurt, or even worse.

[TheraminTrees]

@bonnie43uk I blame the council.

[bigboy45454545]

I kept falling into fat girls. But then I walked around, then I met my wife.

[HiAdrian]

Wow! Powerful.

[XionXi]

Wow, I actually liked that... And I thought school had totally destroyed my ability to appreciate poetry.

[startreking2007]

@XionXi Can you translate this poem for me, Because it sounds like hes slowly learning from his mistakes.

[TheraminTrees]

@XionXi I've had a hard time with poetry over the years, mainly because there seems to be such an aura of bullshit surrounding it — possibly more so than any other strand of the arts. My criterion these days is simple: does it speak to me.

[VicariousExtrospect]

@XionXi

I don't think schools and poetry ever mixed well. The good news is that in the process I at least got into Shakespeare.

[LeSaMilano]

very big smiles when I saw you come up in my list. I love this, have to study and watch -such great animation!

[TheraminTrees]

@LeSaMilano It always gives me a big smile to see your name ;8) Watching your last two videos this morning, I've gone from tears to laughing out loud at that monumental 'Fuck off!' in your superb animation! You are a *treasure* Lesley. x

[Maxdwolf]

Interesting. I wonder if this inspired the "a man falls into a hole" story I first heard on "The West Wing".

[mazdaplz]

the fact that theramin trees is skilled as a 2d artist adds a lil something extra to his vids :P

[airandfingers]

Very enjoyable. I'm sure I can find some stuff by Plath, Blake, and tinySpectacle to read (I've recently started reading poetry with Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet"), but would you mind pointing me to a good start (or your favorite) for each?

^^

[TheraminTrees]

@airandfingers 'The Prophet' has a lot of thought-provoking material on a range of subjects. Well, I love Blake's The Poison Tree. And tinySpectacle's 'Animal', though unfortunately she's had to keep it private as she intends to publish — if not I would've asked to use it for my choice. With Sylvia Plath, it's really her whole sensibility with language — it runs through her novels too. In The Bell Jar, she describes a glass falling to the floor with a 'silly tinkle' — beautiful observation.

[airandfingers]

@TheraminTrees

I really like the way "The Poison Tree" is written, and I believe I understand its overt meaning, but I'm not sure how it applies to actual interactions with enemies. I'll definitely read more Blake.

I'm all about thought-provoking. Every time I reread a section of "The Prophet" I get something new out of it. My favorite part, and one that relates to my present life situation, is first sentence of the fifth paragraph of the section on Love (starting with "But if in your fear..")

[TheraminTrees]

@airandfingers I think for me, Blake, in his The Poison Tree, brings out some very important ideas about how social — and, as he was alluding to, religious — prescriptions that stifle our natural expression can create unhealthy retrograde scenarios. I believe it was originally entitled 'Christian Forbearance', criticising surface benevolence that belied, and in fact invigorated, an underlying animosity. The Prophet section you mention is a great commentary on wanting just the good stuff!

[airandfingers]

@TheraminTrees Ah, what a great analysis! Reminds me of that Carl Rogers quote you put at the end of one of your videos (TA, I believe).

That Prophet section, combined with some videos (including yours) and my thoughts, has recently led me to be very open with women I care about. I have enjoyed more happy laughter and suffered more metaphorical tears than I otherwise would have, but the experience has been wholly positive. I now know the freedom of congruence between what I say and what I feel.

[a2zdiy]

Nicely done - not what I was expecting, but wonderful nonetheless!

[TheraminTrees]

@a2zdiy Hey a2z, how the devil are you — hope you and the family are doing great ;8)

[tinySpectacle]

This is such a great choice, and it's such the perfect "TheraminTrees" choice in keeping with your channel's drive for logical self examination. The animation is too cool. AND you are a dear person to mention me in such company.

XO,

Lo

[TheraminTrees]

@tinySpectacle Thanks Lo! My very first thought for this tag was your 'Animal', but I knew it was out-of-bounds due to publication conflicts. It was great to do this tag — I was saying to Doug I think poetry's been polluted with lot of cryptic, verbose poppycock — and the idea that devices like anastrophe and archaic elisions make it 'proper' poetry. Part of what I enjoy about this piece is its almost utilitarian feel — doing what the best poetry does: communicate. Glad you enjoyed it! ;8) x

[ThMrksman]

@TheraminTrees Seeing that comment has given me all the more reason to respect your choice of poem!

It is such a simple piece of work, and yet provokes a good deal of thought, thanks for sharing it.

[Skindoggiedog]

I hurt myself permanently when I enthusiastically jumped in the hole for the hundredth time and I've stayed here ever since.

[stampmaille]

"My eyes are open"...

dude that looks like Tyler Durden...

anyone else reminded of Fight Club?

[StaulkHolm]

@stampmaille no but that movie is classic

[Nederdien]

Does somebody have a mirror of the video "Youtube Games", because it is "not avaiable in [my] country" as youtube states it.

I am kinda upset about it, because it has nothing to do with the location I chost on the bottom of the page, but rather with the country my providers is located - and I don't think, that is of any interest for youtube ..

Anyways, I really liked this video as I did all the ones before - I think it is easy to identify oneself with the speaker in the poem.

[Skindoggiedog]

@Nederdien - Just watch the DonExodus2/NephilimFree series of videos on their attempted debate. Same exact thing.

[mku17ra]

@Nederdien I could mirror it if theramin doesn't mind. That's odd that it wouldn't be available in other countries. Come to think of it, theramin probably has a better answer as to why it is unavailable in your country.

[Nederdien]

@mku17ra

It clearly sais "This video is not available in your country."

This is not the first time I got such a problem (same was happening with Edward Current's current video) and I am not quite hapy about it, because to me it starts feeling like scensorship.

Whatever the case is, I gonna PM theramin tomorrow - it is gettin' late here ..

[defcore108]

I can relate... but I guess most people could.

[EvolvedAtheist]

That sums up many situations---including believers' doubt and the ultimate deconversion of the subset who seek truth.

[PlanetBongoSan]

awesome

[TheraminTrees]

@PlanetBongoSan Thanks!

[ChaoticSupernova]

I think by the second time I would definitely stop using that street!

Great video as always, Theramin. Is that music your general theme? I think you use it a lot but we've never heard it in full.

[TheraminTrees]

@ChaoticSupernova Thanks Chaotic ;8) I actually recorded a classical piece specially for this animation yesterday, but it just didn't 'hit' it for me, then I thought of this track and it seemed to fit. I'd only used snatches of it before, so I thought, What the heck. ;8)

[drax325]

It's refreshing to see someone put so much effort in a vid.

[Nhurm]

Well that struck a chord. Except on my second street there was an even deeper hole that took me a very long time to get out of and now I'm back on the original street or and alley near by it kind of hard to tell.

[drdodson]

Top quality, as always! So glad to see you back!

[TheraminTrees]

@drdodson Thanks!

[UsernameClayton]

That is such a great description of human behavior!

[Lutzifer31337]

Awesome as always!

Still a shame though, that your last video isn't available in my country for whatever reasons.

So, thanx as always. Keep up the good work =)

[TheraminTrees]

@Lutzifer31337 'Still a shame though, that your last video isn't available in my country for whatever reasons.'

—Yes. I contacted YouTube about it but haven't had any response. Very annoying — and hopefully an isolated event.

[AncientAtheist]

I have to confess to having fallen in quite a few holes that I knew damn well were there.

[TheraminTrees]

@AncientAtheist Sometimes it seems like choosing the lesser of two holes doesn't it! I want to get to Chapter 6 — where you come back with a cement mixer and fill all the fuckers in! ;8)

[AncientAtheist]

@TheraminTrees Well, yes, there is the fact of choosing the least deep hole to drop off in to. But that's not what I am confessing to. I'm saying that often I've walked into holes that I have dropped into previously, knowing damn well what would happen, and doing so though I could have easily side-stepped.

Don't wait for me to fix those holes, Link. I can be such a lazy fuck.

[vadimcream]

I hope this isn't a question that you get tired of answering because you get it all the time but what programs do you use to make your wonderful videos? Thanks.

[TheraminTrees]

@vadimcream Thanks — for this one I used Illustrator and Flash.

[notinmyname2050]

That was Awesome TT, thanks for sharing. Powerful message and the animations you used gelled so seamlessly it would be easy to think they were part of one single endeavour rather than two independent creations.

[TheraminTrees]

@notinmyname2050 Thanks notinmyname ;8) I love what this poem says about personal responsibility and self-deception. And it was so weird to find out Portia was one of the nuns in 'The Sound of Music' — I think she was the one who sheepishly presented a sabotaged nazi car part to mother superior and said 'we have sinned'.

[atthetopofmyvoice]

Excellent choice and wonderful video treatment.

[TheraminTrees]

@atthetopofmyvoice Thanks!

[C0nc0rdance]

Fantastic!  Favorite'd.

[TheraminTrees]

@C0nc0rdance Hey C0nc0rdance! Thanks ;8)

[QualiaSoup]

Wonderful video, Link!

This is a favourite poem of mine too, and it fits in so well with your other work on Transactional Analysis.

There's an empowering life lesson in there. Your graphics and music compliment the words beautifully. ;->

[TheraminTrees]

@QualiaSoup Thanks Doug! I said to BC2, I love the artless language — just simple statements, devoid of poetic 'devices'. If only a few people we knew were as artless in their attempts — ditching the 'o'ers' and what have you. ;8) x

[benjaminbartholomew]

Awesome

[AuntieDiluvian]

Stunning visuals!

[TheraminTrees]

@AuntieDiluvian Thanks AuntieD! ;8)