Brainwashers out there - Everywhere!

Brainwashers out there – everywhere!

          Frederika Menezes

I see we are both back – you to do the reading and me, well, I am back with more thoughts to voice, that I have done on paper!

I was thinking the other day about how certain people think its their obligation to make their friends, loved ones think and believe the way they do. Its like these people must have the final word and thought from themselves instilled into those they decide to brainwash.
I have no tolerance for brainwashers – you cannot tell me whatever you believe is true and what all I am doing is wrong, unless of course, its murder!

I read a lot of books – different kinds but nothing to make me hide my face in shame – the same applies to music, I love every kind of music that I find interesting.
I understand some stick to just one or two types of genres of books and music and I may try to suggest a third genre of each to them but I have never tried to drill it into their skulls! That’s just plain wrong. Plus some are just too strong headed for that task to succeed!

One day two old friends were sitting together and catching up - a natural thing to do for friends who don’t meet for years because one of them is living out of town and reinventing life while the other, is just happy with the everyday routine and little surprises that sometimes spring up from the ground of that very routine.

I happened to be around when the two friends met and it was nice to see joy being exchanged in way of greetings and comments about how little, how much each had changed and so on. Okay, it would be fair to say that I am a good friend of she who happily lives a routine once-in-awhile surprise in life. Nothing wrong with this, especially if she keeps busy and doesn’t poke around in others’ business wrongfully!

Gradually, it became evident that the friend from out of town had a mission in mind – a mission that has been etched in the mind by powerful forces. I tried to catch my friend’s eye to warn of the imminent blowout but could not get the attention required long enough to somehow convey the message.

A book lay on the table between the two friends and it was something my friend likes reading very much - tales of magic and dragons and fairies. I like that stuff myself – it’s all a great pastime and a way to escape reality when it gets right out shitty.
The out of town friend took a look at the book and asked her why the choice of reading? Adding that, the book about magic and the sort went against “Realism”- a book that interested this person and his like minded friends, but not our mutual friend as reading material.
My friend explained how enjoyable it was, took it a step further to add that there was a collection of such books that had been read very enthusiastically and were waiting to be reread. My dear friend spoke highly of the book and the series on the whole, face bright and excited to be sharing this with an old friend. He listened intently – only I knew then irritability stirring inside him.
The question was just there, waiting to be asked, only it never got asked – never saw the light of getting asked. The tirade had begun – angry gestures and exclamations about how bad the book was and the series, how untrue to “Realism” – how my friend shouldn’t be reading such stuff as it was going to bring bad forces in life and turn it bad. ‘Read “Realism”’ the out of town friend said, rather forcefully. If I know my friend I know that if anyone forces her to change her way of thinking, she has no tolerance- still, the friend from out of town went on ranting – eyes had a life of their own on this one that moments before had a melancholic glaze to them, now, they were blazing, intense – much like a waking dragon ironically!

My friend waved the ranting off and smiled – I could see how hard she was trying to keep her lips from curling the wrong way! A vein pulsed in her temple as she tried to change the subject to music. As she asked about the out of town friend’s favorite music, I could tell that she already knew the answer – hell, even I knew it!
Yes, the friend from out of town listened only to “Realistic” music and everything else came from bad influences and got created by those who were trying to ‘wipe out Realism’ – these were his words.
My friend wanted to know (out of pure curiosity only of course!) how the creators of her favorite music went against Realistic music. She asked her now increasingly annoying friend.
With the melodies and words that are used in the songs he explained – went into detail about how if one plays a song of certain genre of music backwards, it will sound like a message from those against “Realism” and how that is bad to listen to!

Well, it ended in a big ‘mind your own business and be my friend or GET LOST!’ from my friend’s expression and yes, her words as well.

The out of town friend has stuck by his beliefs – brainwashing every mind that has no firm thought matter to stick with. Still does am sure but he will restrain himself on this subject when it comes to meet his old friend whenever he comes to town now, he’ll find a subtle way to tell her how the music she listens to and the books she reads are not in the interest of her living a right life. Whatever.

End point - no matter how off the wall one’s tastes might be, do not sit one down and forcefully brainwash that person as peoples’ thoughts are their own.
Books are good – they aren’t mediums of evil and neither is music if you know how to listen to it.

What can ruin an entire life is doubt – doubt in your own beliefs, doubt in the way you live your simple everyday once-in-awhile surprise life.

Sadly, brainwashers are real – they are out there everywhere!