Tall Tales

I am a voracious reader. As long as something is printed on something, i compulsively read it.... from backs of soap boxes, to recipe books, blogs, far away store signs that  whip by when i travel by bus... to large encyclopedias, novels, dictionaries and textbooks on Biotechnology or Calculus.  I drink in every word, phrase and sentence. After all, books or reading materials in general are the most unboring things in this world. Every page tells a different idea.

   
    I just realized that my addiction to chatting and online interaction stems from my love for reading. Weird huh? With all the distraction from physical appearances gone, one can just concentrate on the personalities (or assumed personalities) of the guys and gals one talks to over chat.

I feel like im starting on a new book everytime i meet a new friend online.

I've met people who remind me of guide books or recipe books, or atlases... they are people I always consult  when I have problems or just plain lost. They never tire of giving out advices, directions and suggestions over things that are vital as well as trivial. Some others of this type remind me of Bibles, which i consult whenever I'm losing faith. I love these people, and like I do to my most precious resource books, I keep them encased in protective structures to ensure that they remain with me forever.

   

    I've met people who take me to another world when I talk to them. I categorize them alongside my favorite fantasy novels, romance books and "pron". They may spout a lot of bull, particularly those with stories that are soooo far out that they can never really be remotely true... but I keep these people in my list of PM priorities just because they entertain me amazingly well. I'm always spellbound by narrations that are so obviously made-up that I get freaked at the amount of brain power it took to concoct them. A colloquial term for these types is "barbers". But barbers or not, they always entertain. The same goes for people i categorize as Tabloids.  They warp the truth so much that it sounds like it's anything but.

 
    The best way to categorize the people i meet in the context of literature will have to be: Fiction or Non-fiction. 

    Fiction types, particularly the good ones, are the hardest to quit. I can't resist PM-ing them when I see them around over the net just because I really want another dose of pure bullshit. After all, I get to laugh (a lot), cry and even get horny over their imaginatively told subject matter. There was this guy who told me he was dying in the next 3 months (to arouse my sympathy, i guess) . I spent hours and hours talking to and crying with him about the whole ordeal of what he was supposedly going through, because he was 100% sure. His version of his story varied too much for me to really take him seriously, and at one point his plot became so thick and convoluted that he contradicted everything he said in the past. It was melodrama at it's best and it kept me spellbound... up until the time that he was "supposed" to die. After this time, I didn't PM him anymore and he didn't take initiative either. I guess that good read was over. I did talk to him on his cel after a year of non-communication and called him out on his lie... along with a very civilized offer. I said:

"Hey, c'mon, you know i didn't really believe all that shit, but I let you to keep it on because it's your trip. Let's start again by you undoing all the lies you told me. I really enjoyed the fictional ride, but now that it's done with, let's be real friends."

 
    Actually, I did miss him, he was good company. But he was just too humiliated to really know where to start telling the truth. Either that, or he is completely incapable of telling something not made up. Like all fiction books, I keep these types close to me until i get bored or finished with them, then leave them on the shelf to collect dust, except when i feel like reading them again for fun.

 

    Non-fiction types are really the hardest to read, but the most fulfilling. Most of these people lay their hearts out along with their life stories in front of me instantly. A few told their stories in chapters... gradually unfolding their lives in my eyes as their trust in me got stronger. Like I do when reading autobiographies, I keep an open mind and reserve judgment until later when i get to know the person completely. However, I did close the pages a little too soon for those with stories  that so disturbed my peace of mind and creeped me out. Some others so touched me deeply and spiritually that I felt their pain, their worries, their happiness, their dreams and illusions. Even if I never meet the person again online or in real life, his or her story will stay with me forever as if it were mine.

 

    I prefer to figuratively read "real" people, but in cases when reality bites too much for comfort, I seek out those that will provide me with the sense of fun that i need with their delusional narrations.  I gotta keep those creative juices flowing, see? As we say "kwentuhan lang naman, hayaan mo na." 

^_^

Comments

[Rose]

"There was this guy who told me he was dying in the next 3 months (to arouse my sympathy, i guess)."

- kilala ko po ba yang tao na 'yan? hehe