Teen Leadership Council

A Ritual of Lies by Katie0
FleetusMcGee posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 27th, 2007

Empty eyes stare back through the glass,
The ghost of me from my past.
But it is so easy to ignore her,
Why dwell on what we once were?
And so begins my ritual of lies,
As I begin to paint on my clever disguise.
I place on my daily clothes of deceit,
I can feel the old me give in to defeat.
I then paint on my mask of make up,
My old face I continue to corrupt.
I then put on the final touch,
A large smile, but not too much.
Every day I continue this lie,
Just so I might catch your eye.
I continue being this person of pretend,
In hope that maybe you’ll call me your friend.
I change each day just to fit in,
Hoping to forget who I am within.
But the old me can’t help but wonder,
Is this all just one big blunder?

A Worldwide Look at Marriage by Megan0
FleetusMcGee posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 25th, 2007

One of the most common rituals in the world is marriage. In our culture, weddings are very personal and important. This is because the couple has decided to spend the rest of their lives with each other. In some countries, the practice of arranged marriages still exists, meaning those to be wed do not choose their husband or wife, generally, parents chose for their children.

The age of marriage, who chooses the spouse, acceptance of divorce, children, and treatment of spouses all depend on the culture. In the United States, all of these issues are free will and services are offered to lend any necessary assistance. In countries such as India, where arranged marriages are common, the men or women may only see their spouse a few times before the wedding day and divorce carries a serious social backlash. If the couple decides to get divorced, the people of their village ridicule them and parents basically disown them.

Another issue with these marriages is if a husband doesn’t like his wife he is more likely to mistreat her and the wife can’t get out of the bad marriage. It has also been brought up in articles on this subject that these marriages violate the human right of choice, since these men and women don’t choose their spouse.

The marital age differs depending on the culture, but in most, people marry by their late 20’s. In some countries, girls marry very young and generally wed much older men. Marriages like these often happen in impoverished countries where parents hope to give their daughters—and themselves—a better life.

The subject of children also differs among cultures. In China, each family can only have one child and in India, women can have up to 8 sons. However, in many cultures, daughters are not wanted for various reasons; for example, it is believed that they are too expensive because their families are expected to provide dowry for the wedding.

Getting married is one of the most common rituals and it differs throughout the world. However, it seems to have the same goal in all parts of the world; if you are a parent, you want your son or daughter to find a spouse and have a family of their own, continuing the family tradition.

After-school Special by Anonymous0
FleetusMcGee posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 25th, 2007

Click. Flicker. Crackle. Flash.
Sizzle. Burn. Scorch. Bake.
Bubble. Gurgle. Boil. Milk.
Rip. Tear. Snap. Whoosh.
Cough. Snicker. Tingle. Laugh.
Float. Giggle. Blur. Elevate.

Corruption Beneath A Revolutionary Standard by Gretchen0
FleetusMcGee posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 25th, 2007

It is often said that not even twenty years go by before a rebellion or a revolution occurs. In fact, if you follow the patterns in history, you can easily recognize this statement as the truth. A rebellion or revolution occurs to change the current regime into something new. The cause of this uprising may be due to many factors, but in one way or another, all revolutions are rooted in some sort of discontent for the present system structure.

It seems that, somehow, after years of democratic, socialist, communist, and fascist rule, no one system has shown to be one hundred percent adequate. Discontent will always remain amidst the human race because that is how we choose to live our lives. We will continue to succumb to living under similar circumstances instead of reforming completely. Therefore, our futures can only foreshadow another failed revolution.

Now, if every system, if every government proves to be unsatisfactory to the people it’s serving, it would seem logical to abolish the failed paths we’ve rewritten too many times before. Instead of this rational, yet radical idea, we continue making minor changes in our doctorial. From this standpoint, many rebellions have indeed been successful, but, considering that the changes made only reiterate the problem doesn’t necessarily mean that the problem will cease to exist. As long as we continue to teach the values that we’ve learned for so many years, only mild changes will continue to occur. Nothing will promote reformation as long as we all maintain the same programmed mindset.

Looking at this dilemma, you can see the incompetence of the human race causes our lack of change, reaffirms our habits of safety, and clearly points out that the root of our discontent, of our misery, comes from within.

A failed revolution guarantees a safety blanket for our countries, our families, and, more importantly, ourselves. This is why we continue to promote changes on a small scale as opposed to a complete 180-degree turn. History has shown the violent nature of the human race and for this reason we fear stepping outside of the laws which bind us. We feel that without Big Brother guarding us all the time, we might get out of control—Uh-oh. Maybe we’ll be responsible for the apocalypse. No one wants to be held liable for the travesties of the human race, but in reality, everyone knows that the damage we have done, and continue to do, has spawned the root of our own collapse.

This is our tradition, this is our destruction, and this is our devastation. Human beings have been given the gift of knowledge, reflection and the freedom of thought. We, unlike many other animals, can feel and understand our emotions. We can comprehend our morals but because of our overwhelming sense of fear we often suppress and demean that valuable privilege.

We continue to live under laws which limit our capacities to truly live. We continue to succeed at the failure of our reformation. Somehow, the most intellectual being maintains a social image of ignorance and stupidity that leaves us with a reputation full of shame.

So, this is what I propose to you, the audience, the reader, the abject human being! At this point in our lives, our only means of salvation is complete destruction. If everything burns, the world must rid itself of failed constitutions and look for new plans of evolution. Chaos will at first overcome many, but after we gain control our concentration will transfer from illusion to reality. If people plan to live in a world full of nothing, they will finally grasp the precious nature of everything. Our new means of breathing will be living to stay alive, not to serve. That will be our next revolution. And if that fails, the human race must be destroyed.

Human Training 1010
FleetusMcGee posted in Rituals And Traditions on November 7th, 2006

The metal block was cold. Frigid against my bare skin. I could feel the goosebumps shiver down, then back up my body in quick succession. I wasn’t used to looking around the room when lying down, I was used to standing. The ground seemed like a far-away memory. The walls were like ghosts in my peripheral vision. The ceiling was the only reality now. The ceiling and the icy slab against my skin.

I jumped when the door creaked open, as it sent a rush of warm air along me, and goosebumps, once again, racing along my nerve-endings. The people who entered didn’t talk, silence was part of the ceremony, and I knew the rules. I used to be one of their cloaked figures.

Reflex makes my head turn to look at them, at the heavy, luminous white cloaks, the stark alabaster hoods covering every one of the individuals’ anonymous heads. In the hand of the leading figure is a dazzling and sharp-edged dagger. In all the years I’d been a part of the small group of leaders, never had I seen the dagger up close, yet now, from this angle, I could see the ancient markings engraved into the shining silver blade. I can make out the precious stones embedded in the hilt through the long, boney, pale fingers.

If I hadn’t seen the ceremony before, it would have been slightly creepy.

Yet, after they gathered around the board, the man with the dagger gently laid a hand on me. I wasn’t sure where because it felt like the hand was touching every inch of my shivering body and immediately I calmed and lay motionless beneath the fingers. Slowly, I could feel energy bubbling at his fingertips, swelling until it began dropping like beads onto my bare skin and sinking through my pores. My skin began to crackle and surge. Lightning shot in front of my eyelids and fire through my stomach. I couldn’t tell whether to be sick or excited.

It felt like hours, even days, had passed before the feelings died down and gentle ripples, like a soft ocean current, lapped through me. Although I knew, from watching the procedure dozens of times, that it had not been days, or even hours, but only a few short seconds. I knew what would come next. Yet it was the part that scared me beyond the point of basic fear, because as soon as that blade came down, I didn’tknow exactly what would happen. I didn’t know what the second stage would be like. I squeezed my eyes closed in anticipation and waited. I heard the swish of cloth as the sleeve lifted. I waited, my body tense with fear. Another swish.

I thought I would cry out, that lightning pain would surge through my body. But it never happened. One moment I was lying on the metal table, the next I could feel a throbbing pressure against my head. I pushed myself against it, wondering what it could be. Suddenly, a gust of cold air rushed over me. It stung all the way from my head to my toes. There was a soothing hand on my shoulder. “Welcome initiate, to the contra-world.” I felt myself smile weakly and opened my orbs to look at the rich new landscape around me. “Welcome to Human Training 101. You are about to be taught the way to behave in the third world: Earth. This is Limbo. This is the beginning. Welcome human-to-be.”

I smiled. Humanity. The greatest of all three worlds. I followed where the Contra-human lead.

Transformation of Treasured Traditions0
Drak posted in Rituals And Traditions on April 23rd, 2006

 Webster defines a tradition as, “a mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation to generation.” At first glance, this definition seems perfectly true, but it is also true that traditions adapt, change, and become obsolete. “Continuously from generation to generation.” It is these five words that I question. True, many traditions are followed strictly through the years, but many are not. Not only traditions fulfilled with actions, but those of a verbal or mental ideal also change throughout time.
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For the Love of Dance0
glogirl posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 14th, 2006

Welcome. Please check your baggage at the door. During your journey, common beliefs about sexiness, body image, and womanhood will be jumbled and rearranged by drops, shimmies and turns. You are entering an age-old tradition, with roots in the heart of feminine expression and spirituality. Welcome to the world of Belly Dancing.

I started my journey seven years ago, on a whim to "try something different". Little did I know that this impulse would drop me into a deeper sense of my feminine nature. This worldly tradition of movement enticed my body to feel its natural power and sensuality. The sharp movements hammered down walls of separation from myself and other women. The undulations unearthed negative beliefs about my body, slowly replacing them with acceptance. Shimmies reverberated through an underworld of feminine nature and brought forth soulful expression. This tradition has rocked my world.

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Coming of Age0
glogirl posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 14th, 2006

For millennia, young people have had to prove that they are ready to join the adults of their society. Sometimes this means killing an animal or an enemy; sometimes it is as simple as a party or ceremony where the young person is declared an adult. The age of the child varies but, usually, it is between 12 and 16.

As life expectancy increases, the age at which a person moves from childhood to adulthood is also increasing. In the time of the Roman Empire, girls were often married by the age of 13, and they were mothers several times over by the time they were twenty. Romeo and Juliet, the most celebrated lovers ever, were sixteen and fourteen, respectively, when they wed. The thought of marriage at such a young age is deeply shocking to our modern sensibilities, but was a logical process when the life expectancy was in late thirties or early forties.

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Insomnia1
Admin posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 10th, 2006

A chill breeze gently stirs the curtains of the window I left open. She shivers in her sleep and pulls the covers up, huddling in them like a rabbit in its den.

It is very quiet. It usually is. We don't make much noise; making noise is a good way to alert our prey to us, and that's a good way to lose meals. People are cleverer these days. They do not fall victim to us so willingly, though it is easy enough to find a good meal among those who no longer believe. They are plentiful. She is one of them, and a pretty one at that: pale, perfect complexion, rich auburn hair. (more…)

Rituals And Traditions2
Admin posted in Rituals And Traditions on February 10th, 2006

tradition
n 1: an inherited pattern of thought or action 2: a specific practice of long
standing custom
ritual
n 1: a ceremony

The dictionary definitions of the words "ritual" and "tradition" are straightforward and specific, however, we at The Platypus have come up with our own definitions and interpretations. Rituals and Traditions, throughout time, have been humanity's means of expression. Many of these ceremonies or routines stand the test of time because they hold the eminence of all that is important and meaningful to us - hence this issue of The Platypus. So, take a look at what we have to say, you'll probably find something that catches your mind's eye.

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