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Trading Spouses Comment Thread
Hi guys....I'm trying very hard to understand this here. Please, please be patient with me . :? I am reading the first chapter....(trying), I can read what is written and then go down to the commentary in hopes of understanding. I do understand but it's hard to let go of the words and what we were taught for them to mean. Do I make ANY sense what so ever? I also am doing this without guidance and so I am looking to you all for that. Thank you for helping me. I've been absolutely drawn to this ????....(no words come to mind when trying to express what I am actually being drawn to) but, I am drawn to continue to read and read and read some more.
I am ordering the book that Leslie recommended too....I hope it helps, but I still may need some external assistance as well....Thanks again!
Odd, maybe my name has something to do with it???? I've spent most of my 34 years on this earth wondering why I was given such a name and always have to explain what my folks were thinking when they named me, which I still don't know. Here it is, and it's SO appropriate here. Honest to goodness, my name is Theory. Theoryanne....to be exact. I use Teri so I don't have to elaborate any. But feel free to call me Theory, that's what I like and am used to, using any other name feels like calling someone other than your Mama, Mama!!
I am ordering the book that Leslie recommended too....I hope it helps, but I still may need some external assistance as well....Thanks again!
Odd, maybe my name has something to do with it???? I've spent most of my 34 years on this earth wondering why I was given such a name and always have to explain what my folks were thinking when they named me, which I still don't know. Here it is, and it's SO appropriate here. Honest to goodness, my name is Theory. Theoryanne....to be exact. I use Teri so I don't have to elaborate any. But feel free to call me Theory, that's what I like and am used to, using any other name feels like calling someone other than your Mama, Mama!!
Comments
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Though I am Christian, I must say that you have broadened my views on how society views different lifestyles. One thing that I can't help but wonder is how your family can survive without privacy. For instance, where does the parents private life work with Kyle and Luke sharing a room. Is there a "Kids don't come to bed yet" rule or what? Sorry Luke and Kyle for instilling that visual.
Well, folks (all you CenterTao old timers) looks like happy times are here again!
As to the rest of you, well, flame away, I guess! As for me, I'm staying out of it.
I must say, I was expecting much more posting to be going on post-TS. Not that I'm dissapointed or anything . . .
Sorry, I couldn't find a mail exchanger or IP address. (#5.4.4)
How come I can't start a new topic? I don't like it!
Love,
Lynn
OK, I removed the "can't start a new topic" restrictions and all that. Sorry about the drastic measures. I was expecting a huge flood of visitors like "last time" but (thankfully) that doesn't appear to be the case. So the rest of the board is now back to being unlocked.
As far as the email thing, I think we got that fixed again. The MX records for the DNS server kept getting erased. My hosting company is looking into it, but we have a temporary fix in place for now. Try again.
And gunitejohnboy:
She was singing Amazing Grace because it's a great song!
Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following
addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.
Sorry, I couldn't find a mail exchanger or IP address. (#5.4.4)
*Sigh* it's out of my hands.
Please feel free to delete all these email-related posts.
First of all, i dun think it's weird that Luke and Kyle are so "dependent" on their parents at such age. It juz that the American society are not used to it. As a Chinese and also a teenager, I am still tightly bonded to my parents but that does not mean i am not independent. :roll: oh well, u know wat i mean right? Hahaha~~~
Also, i think u guys just basically has a healthy lifestyle that is full of clean-fun that are alienated in America. Am i right? That's why, Vicki feel so weird and thought u guys are crazy.
Not only that, u have a religion that is not common there and practice it differently. That's a double-wacked for Vicki as well.
Yes your episode was just shown in Singapore. Having just returned from Santa Barbara where I lived for half a year, and knowing many people from Santa Cruz, I am absolutely envious of those I know who could thread barefoot everywhere. Many of my friends lead lifestyles like yours, yoga, tai-chi and would cherish at any opportunities to commune with nature and feel the earth beneath their feet. I was very upset by the portrayed intolerance of "the different". Being Chinese, I am always admiring of any non-chinese friends who makes the effort to try, just as I struggle at feigning fluent spanish. lol right of course im just a crazy tree hugging hippie
I was really glad that in doing a search for more information on TS after watching the show, I found this forum. It made me so relieve to read the page written by Luke about the parade of lies. I just could not believe that somebody who would be repelled by the redwoods could be absolutely right in her assessment of a lifestyle she is not familiar with. Even if that was a false portrayal... *shrugs* I am just glad and reassured by this forum.
Just reading that makes it clear that the boys are not "brainwashed" and "controlled". *sigh* TV is truly evil.
so much thoughts running through my head but I think I'm happy knowing that I don't really need to say them. All of you have enough supporters and those who know the truth. It's just terrible this show is making around the world at a very slow rate and not all viewers are going to be chancing upon this website. There are just too many close minded people in this world who will always look at something different as necessarily bad.
forward to it, it is actually quite funny, whether or not you guys like it is up to you, but i enjoy it and no one can change that for me, if you are complaining so much about it being edited and them making you say things then why did you agree to doing those things in the first place, it must have been in the contract that you guys would have signed, and
they couldnt FORCE you into saying that you had no televisions, you guys
did it yourselves. Thats how all reality t.v programmes work, if they dont spice it up a little and emphasize scenes then they will make no money, a little common sense is required.
did it yourselves.
Yes No one was forced to say anything. They cut out the real answer that was "Yes" and dubbed in "No". Could you call it forcing behind the scenes?
Are you in reality TV cutebob?
(1) Me too! Especially when I think of the show as half fiction and half reality.
(2) No force is needed. Editors simply cut out the "yes" to television and pasted in a "no" they recorded us saying in another context at another time.
(3) Well, we were very naive. When we were told by everyone involved that they wanted us to just be ourselves and that it was the reality of who we are that would be shown on TV. They never disclosed their practice of extreme editing (cut, switch, paste) to make you appear to be opposite to who you are, or what you said. That surprised and pissed us off a bit at first.
So, I'm glad you enjoyed the show. I'm very happy we did the show, and to tell the truth, also 'happy' the editors messed with it. You know... no pain, no gain :!: Their 'creativity' deepened the educational aspect of this experience... providing more grist for life's mill.
But well, if i'm the editor of the show i will also Cut, Switch, Paste. Coz' this will make our show MUCH MUCH more exciting as compared to everyone living in peace, harmony and joy. If i'm the editor, i'll probably add some mean stuff inside too.
Kinda wicked but oh well, i want the ratings and not the feelings. :P
Just a thought...
Seeing as we are simply apes, albeit with an high degree of self consciousness, I view our fascination with disaster drama as a manifestation of the 'alarm instinct' so many social animal have (maybe all?). For example, picture a group of chimps harmoniously foraging and eating. No arousal would be evident. No group interest would be stimulated. Every chimp is carrying on with life mundanely. One chimp spots a tiger in the distance and calls out... "Hey!" A great commotion ensues, the whole tribe of chimps is aroused with feelings of excitement. Wow! That's news!
Traffic slows, TV's are turned on, Newspapers sell out, the internet is abuzz. Opps, I forgot, we're talking about chimps... no, no, that's right we're actually talking about another great ape - us. Honestly, we expect too much from ourselves, as though we are capable of being other than our original nature. I suspect that much of our anxiety and discontent arises from such fanciful ideals and expectations. These, I speculate, are the result of our extreme self consciousness :oops:
I have healed a lot. I went through post traumatic stress syndrome after the airing of the show and its aftermath. It was a nightmare now it's just a dream.
I'm learning a lot from the experience.
As the good book says...No step is lost on the way. I'll add "The way back home".
Leslie
And now Carl: Isn't it our nature to go towards pleasure and away from pain? How does that fit in with your ape scenario? Do we want to feel pleasure and watch others feel pain? I don't! (I can't watch even the promos for "Fear Factor"). I think people do go both ways...remember early TV shows where long lost relatives were reunited? We all cried. "Schindler's List"? And Queen for a Day? Even make-overs are hard to turn off.
So, while I'm not disagreeing that we can't turn away from a train wreck, we are attracted to other, more positive, entertainment. Maybe it takes less effort for network executives to manipulate us to feel the fear-based emotions and that's why so much of it is out there.
What is wisdom if not making the choice of increasing life-promoting, non-destructive behaviors? If the general population were wiser, would shows like "Trading Spouses" get the ratings? But we had that discussion already.
I don't know what's involved psychologically with laughing at jokes. But if I have moments of thinking I'm a peaceful, positive person, all I need do is think about what I've laughed at lately.
So, have you heard the one about ....
(1) Because pleasure is so important to us, we are stimulated and fascinated by all aspects of pleasure. Either getting it, or being denied it. Seeing others get it or being denied it. The avoidance of pain is also the attraction to pleasure. Seeing others worse off than us make us feel better off... lucky.. but also pity for them. This, and our social instinct, is what lies behind gossip - all forms of gossip, from chit chat over the fence to the Evening News, fiction and non-fiction stories and probably even this message board. It is all the same... remember, [chref=56]mysterious sameness[/chref]
The reason the world is like it is, is because that is how we all need to have it. Our displeasure with some aspects of it just reflects our own personal needs and tastes. Nothing wrong with that. Though, we do tend to get self righteous about what we need, and poo poo what others need. Nothing wrong with that either. We're all just being the animal that we are. And, there's nothing wrong with that either. What is wrong anyway? Right and wrong produce each other, so I suppose you'd have to say 'right' is 'wrong'. Remember, [chref=2]the whole world recognizes the ____ as the ____, yet this is only the ____.[/chref]
(2) Wisdom is not about choices, it is about seeing the 'bio' illusion that pulls our strings. When you see the 'bio' illusion for what it is, you loose interest in the 'drama'. If you don't emotionally feel it is true (faith and belief), how can you take it seriously? Oh, 'bio' illusion is my term for how our instincts 'hookwink' us. We evolved to see distinctions that are not there, and to make mountains out of those mole hills that we see,.. that are not there.
I understand the wisdom you speak of...not being 'hooked' by the world, as you say, not being dragged into the drama. When you are not hooked then you are able to act in the ways I've described. The Buddhists call it living skillfully and it's purpose is to decrease suffering.
Do these choices you speak of stem from:
(1) a driving need you feel, as any animal of similar experience and circumstances would, or
(2) the uniquely human power of free choice?
I would have to go with (3) pure awareness. :roll:
Jason