Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
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Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
So over the weekend, I was watching Blade Runner with my wife. My favorite movie. At the end of the movie, she asked me why Batty saves Deckard. I told her that despite Batty being a murderer, when faced with his own death he realized how precious life truly is, and he loved life more than anything else. Even his enemy's life. Life is precious.
It got me started thinking about the life we lost, our baby who died after only 4 weeks of pregnancy. I used to express myself through poetry a lot in high school and a bit in college, and even won 3rd place in a poetry contest at my community college. So that night I was inspired to write the first poem I'd written in 27 years, a lament to the loss of the second daughter we had wanted to have. I have my own little corner of the internet where I write stuff on my mind. I've shared it with a couple of frens on here already. This is for anyone who has lost a child or any loved one, really. If anyone here enjoys it, I'd be happy to hear. God bless.
https://stevethefish.net/life/life137.htm
Incredibly powerful and well written. The imagery, the balance and symmetry of the writing, and the palpable grief resonates. Beautifully done.
Thank you so much!
Bro...
That is a powerful, HONEST poem.
I'm not normally fond of such straightforward, clear and verbose poetry - I'm more a haiku guy, than a Whitman guy, but by the end of it, your words were striking me like lightning.
So a couple things. One, I'm an emotional patron of the arts. I love nothing more than supporting people expressing themselves creatively. I think it's one of the most beautiful gifts God gives a person. So WELCOME BACK. Two, Violet is blessed in the beyond with as wonderful a tribute a father can give their child. That is also truly beautiful.
I have a dear friend, also a father, who has tried to articulate his same feelings to me over the premature loss of an unborn son. I know, even though he and his wife have since had another son, it still hurts them. I'm going to share this with him.
Thank you so much for sharing. 🙏
God bless.
Please do! This was 7 years ago for us, so it's mostly just a thing of the past. But between watching Blade Runner and its message really hitting home coupled with me being a bit intoxicated that night, I was inspired to reach back and tap into that emotion I feel every time I think of the child we could have had.
My wife was always infertile and I think maybe it's because of the "tetanus booster" she had to get in order to immigrate to America when we were in our mid-20s. After that, her periods seemed to be a bit troublesome. I saw a video of a woman who crusades against childhood vaccines and she said that the tetanus booster basically diminishes a girl's fertility.
As for haiku, I've written plenty of those too. Take a look at my site and you'll see I recently posted the poem I won 3rd place for.
From one anon to another, I am going to strongly suggest you (if you haven't already) play Xenogears. It is an original Playstation game and to many people, it is rough around the edges, but perfect. I had my wife play it for the first time after the darkest, most trying time of her life, and it changed her forever. It might just do the same for you. Your favorite movie being Blade Runner gives me the feeling that the brand of scifi in Xenogears will be right up your alley, especially with your Japanese family
American copies are pretty expensive so outside of emulation, the besy way to play it is on a Playstation 3 or Playstation Vita/PSTV where the game can be purchased digitally for $6. It is a nice long one so put aside a few weekends. Having a Japanese wife, I have no doubt you have good tea and rice always there to get you through it.
Uh, okay? Xenogears? I mean, Kos-Mos has some nice-looking tits, but... I've never played those games before. Could I have you spoil the game for me a bit? What would playing a video game do for me? Anyhow, my wife hates video games. It's always been a point of contention in my marriage.
I was better off looking for the cows.
Honestly, xenogears really is more of a novel than a game (with a simple but thoroughly enjoyable combat system).
Its honestly one of if not the most emotionally impactful pieces of media i have ever experienced, myself. I, too, was going through a hard time when i played it (i had a pregnancy related experience as well as very deep depression) and... honestly, it really helped. It really isnt the kind of story someone can cliffnotes for you, its very philosophy heavy. If it were in book form, it would be hailed as a masterpiece of literature.
My deepest condolences to you and your wife, i wish healing and happiness on you both, fren. I cannot fathom how you both feel. I hope the light can shine on you both soon ♥
Thanks. Actually, I don't even think my wife shed a single tear over this. Not that I ever saw, anyway. I'm far more likely to cry while watching a movie and she never does. It's weird. I had a friend when I lived in Arizona who was a total sperg for Xenogears. I'll ask him about the story. I did cry when Aeris died in Final Fantasy 7 at least, even though my dumb friend spoiled it for me.
Kosmos is from Xenosaga. Also great, it is a prequel to Xenogears, and yeah Kosmos is real cute.
Xenogears is a very text heavy role playing game filled with elenents of philosophy, spirituality, science fiction, etc. Tons of references to other fiction and lots of very heavy concepts. Ultimately though, it is a love story and a journey of truly facing yourself. Written by a husband and wife team with a deep love of literature and religion, no video game has come close to its narrative scope. Not to mention the art direction and soundtrack is second to none.
Since your wife hates games, I would say your best bet is going through it on your phone if it is android. Epsxe or Duckstation from play store, find somewhere to download the iso, and that is all you need. Spoiling it would not really convey the impact it can have if you really analyze and comtemplate it.
That was a beautiful tribute to Violet...I feel your loss...I lost my first child early in the pregnancy and even though I later had five other children there is always the thought that there was someone else that should have been part of your life...as your heartfelt poem so beautifully expresses. The blessing is that we will know our unborn children for all eternity, which is so much longer than the breath of life we experience here on earth. It is heartwarming that our children are waiting to meet their mom and dad and any siblings while resting in the loving arms of the one who gave them life. God is good and even though we don't always understand...we trust in the one that loves us more than life itself...God bless you and yours...
Thank you! You are blessed to have so many children. We'd always wanted to have two children, but we were unable to have more than one, especially after my wife's back injury in 2019. Our girl has no cousins either. So with our daughter, the future of the family rests on both the Japanese and American sides. Although perhaps Christ will be returning before too long, I pray.
Well you do have two...just one you haven't met yet...I have a niece named Violet...such a pretty name...
I agree...I hope the Lord doesn't tarry too long...eager anticipation...
Your Japanese/American blend sounds delightful...AND I hope your wife has recovered from her injury...back injuries are not fun...
Yes, she is getting better. A lot more mobile. She's a nursery school teacher with too many years picking children up at the waist and not her knees as she should! Her disc was deteriorated badly, but she has improved. I thought the name Violet was pretty and being a Peanuts fan, it's a shame that the character Violet disappeared from the comic by the '80s.