Not Quite a Philosophy.....?

I said something in a previous post, and it had such a great meaning to me that I had to blog about it separately. I said this:

"...if my life has anything like a philosophy, it would be to do what one loves, do what makes one happy, love, forgive, laugh often."

And the thing about that is that I really want to explain this in depth, because it seems pretty simple, but it can actually be quite difficult at times.

Do what one loves.

That, for me at least, is possibly the simplest part of the whole thing. If I feel passionate about writing, then goshdarnit, I'm going to write. If I feel passionate about film making then goshdarnit, I'm going to make some films. And it sounds like there's nothing to it, and there sort of is, but at the same time, things get in the way, right? People saying that you can't focus on your art form, people never make it there. The doubt. Sometimes there's a feeling of futility that comes into it too. I'm making it sound like a sob story and I'm not trying to, but this is the truth. Sticking to doing what you love is much harder than people give it credit for. But I do my best to do it whenever I can. I write. I make movies. I sing. That's what I do. And I highly doubt that'll really ever change.

Do what makes one happy.

This sounds the same as the first one, and it does kind of tie together, but it's not so focused on passion. This one's just.... in general. If it makes me happy to watch Whose Line obsessively, to listen to music blasting as loud as I can get it, to sing loudly and all the time, to read books about insanity and books about revenge and greed, then yeah, I'm going to do it. This one's not so focused on the idea that of doubt in your passion, but on the idea that if it makes you happy, who really cares what other people think? Yeah, I get that it's perhaps regarded as weird and creepy that I watch all these videos about Whose Line and Colin Mochrie, but it makes me happy, and I've got no real reason to stop. I try not to stoop to give into peer pressure, though it's sometimes difficult. I get that some people think I'm crazy for being in love with the book Misery and The Shining (although that's more based on fascination), or that I really prefer to be comfortable and unfashionable than vice versa. Apparently I'm not normal, and frankly Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn.

Love.

One of the hardest pieces of this particular philosophy at times, but at the same time it can be really easy.

Actually, it's not so much focused on loving everyone, as hating no one.

I try to find something good in everyone I see. It can be pretty damn difficult at times, but I look for something good to say for everyone. I love my mother, my father, all my friends. I really do love them. But then, and this is going to sound absolutely horrible but I'm coming totally clean right now, there are times when I actually don't think I love my brother. And you're all going to think I should take pity on him because he's younger than me, because he's autistic, but I really don't have any sympathy for the kid. He can get so annoying and it's awful and I have to put up with him constantly and I get so darn sick of it.

But I try to love him. I don't like that I don't, and I really do try to love him. But he makes it really difficult.

And then when we come to previous enemies such as Janine....... well, I don't know if I'll ever really love her, but I no longer feel any hatred for her, which is actually huge growth on my part.

Which comes to the next bit.

Forgive.

Which is probably the hardest part of the whole thing.

All my friends are easily forgiven, my mother and father are forgiven relatively quickly, because love comes into play and lets me. But my brother..... not so easily. Eventually I grow mature enough to forgive him for all the idiotic things he says and does to me, but it takes time. I have actually forgiven my once enemy Janine for hacking my computer and accusing me of being a thief, even though I do feel anger rising in me for thinking of all this, I have forgiven her. Because there comes a time when one needs to move on. Bitterness and hard feelings don't make for a particularly happy life.

But, and this is kind of what I want to get at, the one person who's the hardest to forgive is myself.

People are always harder on themselves than other people are on them, and the same is true for me. Everytime I do something that was not particularly smart, I feel ashamed. And people are disappointed in me. Then they forgive me and forget about it, but it takes sometimes years for me to forgive myself. I used to slap myself whenever I couldn't stand how absolutely stupid I had been. But I've grown, and I forgive myself faster now.

And lastly but certainly not leastly,

Laugh often.

Laughing is good for people. I don't know if it's quite as therapeutic for everyone else as it is for me, but it is actually extremely important to me.

Which, of course, is why I watch Whose Line, but I've talked far too much about that already.

It's also the easiest part. Because laughter isn't necessarily hard to come by, but when it's there it's just fantastic. People always make fun of me because I laugh too hard at something that wasn't THAT funny, but I don't care because I'm not ashamed of laughing. I have no reason to be. Laughter is, should be, and hopefully always will be, a big part of my life. Cause even if jokes get old, laughing doesn't.

That's how I think. Unusual? Maybe. I wouldn't know. Who cares?

And now, music that I've been listening to throughout writing this post.

WLiiA Meme: Day 30

IT'S THE LAST DAY!!! MY LAST ACTUAL REGULATED RANT!!!! SAVOUR IT!!!!

Day 30: A Moment That You'll Never Forget

Honestly, this is really hard. I say that about every single one, but it really is difficult, for a few reasons.

First off, how many absolutely unforgettable moments are there on Whose Line? Tapioca, Arctic Tern, Animal Porn, Master of Segues, and that's just from Greatest Hits! Then you go into other games and you get Colin groping everyone, Ryan licking Colin's head, Wayne singing a Strip-o-Gram song to a retired lunch lady, "Come!", Ryan and Colin's first kiss, Nice Pants, Wayne as a drill sergeant, Ryan smashing his head into a neon light whilst doing a Carol Channing impression, Captain Hair, A Big Stick with a Big Nose, Drew tripping on the stairs, Drew's Jerry Lewis impression, the ever famous Ryanless Hoedown, the Going Bald Hoedown, the Harley of Seville, Colin's penis pointer, the Tarzan Sound Effects with the old ladies, this list could go on and on and on, you know it could!

The problem with this question is that it says one moment. And I can't guarantee I'll remember a single moment from this show when I'm old and one would suppose mature (although if I do turn out to be a director/writer, I sort of doubt that) with a family I hope, and, you know, a life. But there is one thing I will always remember about this show.

It made me laugh.

Not just once, not twice, but almost everytime I watched it/listened to it/looked at it (obsessiveness lets me do all those things).

That's the most important thing, and that's the point I really wanna get across. Because if my life has anything like a philosophy, it would be to do what one loves, do what makes one happy, love, forgive, laugh often. Simple as that. It's a nice way to live.

And Whose Line let me laugh often, which, though it is mentioned last, is actually very key in my strategic plan (or, random sentence I just realized about myself. What's the difference?)

But, well, one moment...... if I had to pick just one moment that will stick with me for as long into the future as I can sanely foresee.........

Hmm................

I'll go with Animal Porn. It's the only thing that keeps persistently coming, and I'll go with my gut since logic really has no say in this anymore.

I just adore Colin's apologetic little smile and laugh.

And the way Ryan took a minute to compute what Colin had just said.

And the way Ryan covers his face with his hands because he's ashamed for Colin, but in the most laughing, amusing way possible, and he's got a high little giggle because he's almost in shock.

It's kind of the best thing ever.

God. I love this show so much. I hope I never forget about it. I hope when I'm middle-aged and have children, I'll remember to show them the show too, and grant them the gift of laughter. My mother has laughed so hard she cried at this show. Literally, tears rolling down her face.

I hope Whose Line never fades. It's a piece of utter brilliance, and thank god it lasted a whole eight seasons, plus the ten season British version.

I just love it so much.

*happy sigh*

Peace out Whosebuddies,

MeganH

P.S I KNOW YOU WERE CURIOUS DON'T DENY IT. So here it is. The infamous Animal Porn incident.

From Now On, Nothing's Allowed to Exist Without Me Knowing About It.

My problem is that I always get into things way too late.

I mean, sometimes it's okay, things like Shakespeare and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy will always be timeless. And the Simpsons was actually fairly up to date..... even if, of course, I didn't particularly like the ones that were up to date.......

But if we keep going on this timeline of obsession, we come to Firefly. That was on in 2001. I found out about it in 2011. I was literally a decade late. Meaning, though the fandom lives on, I missed all the panels I probably could have gone to, and talks and blah blah blah. I missed out.

And then we come to Whose Line, which is of course the most recent one, having only become an obession last March.

Now, from my knowledge of Whose Line and the people in it, Whose Line ended in 2005, meaning I missed ever seeing it on TV..... the only reruns are played at midnight on channels I don't even get. And watching it on the computer does lose it's magic, because I can get ANYTHING on the Internet. Which is, of course, the point, but no it's not. The point is that watching it on television is different, and I missed out.

Drawing from my extensive knowledge of these people, Colin and Ryan, whom I recently refferred to in an English project as a "comic match made in heaven", seldom ever see each other anymore. Colin lives in Toronto, doing gigs mainly in Canada except for when he tours with Brad Sherwood for the ever anticipated Colin and Brad Show.

Ryan, on the other hand, lives in America, and does a live show, aptly called Whose Live Anyway (which is, by the way, coming to Coquitlam in February!!!! I WAS FREAKING OUT SO MUCH I PULLED A MUSCLE I CAN'T MISS WHOSE LIVE IF I DO I WILL ACTUALLY KILL SOMEBODY I MUST SEE IT) with Chip Esten, Jeff Davis and Greg Proops, and occasionally does a thing called Stiles and Proops: Unplanned, with, yep, you guessed it, Greg Proops.

I'm not saying it's like "east is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet" because Colin and Ryan do see each other on occasion...... just very rarely.

Well, you know what I found out?

In February, 2011, in Vancouver, for a benefit gig, the twain met.

They called it "A Mochrie of Stiles".

And I missed it.

They did A Mochrie of Stiles in like, two places. EVER.

DO YOU KNOW HOW LIKELY IT IS THAT THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN AGAIN IN VANCOUVER?!?!?! VERY VERY UNLIKELY.

AND I MISSED IT.

GAH. WHY DOES LIFE HATE ME.

*goes in a corner and cries*

I MISSED IT WHY DID I MISS IT WHY CAN'T I GET INTO THINGS BEFORE THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPENED GOOD GOD THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AN ABSOLUTE GEM TO GO TO, CAN YOU IMAGINE SEEING COLIN AND RYAN ONSTAGE TOGETHER AFTER ALL THIS TIME OH MY GOD WHY DO I HAVE TO MISS THINGS LIKE THAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

*takes deep breath*

I. MISSED. A Mochrie of Stiles. When it was in Vancouver. As recently as 2011.

*sobs*

WLiiA Meme: Day 29

Day 29: Why Did You Love This Show?

Day 29 already!!!! The last question on this meme answered next Friday! I can't believe my rant stimuli is almost over! I..... I haven't ranted all I wanted to yet.......

Anyways, the question. Why do I love this show.

Oh, strap yourselves in boys, make yourselves comfortable, maybe grab a snack. This is going to be a long one probably.

Let me tell you a love story - no, not the Ry/Col story! A different love story.

About this time last year, maybe a month or so later, my father was surfing Youtube and found himself searching up clips from a show he used to watch when I wasn't old enough to appreciate it, or even understand it. That show was called Whose Line is it Anyway. At that time, I had no idea what it was, but I heard Mom and Dad laughing at the computer and snuck into the room to join them. It was the famous Sound Effects Scene with the old women (that narrows it down) - the Tarzan Sound Effects.

Every Whoser is probably going "Ahhhh, yes."

I watched it and laughed, but my first question before I laughed was "Is this Just For Laughs?" because I seemed to remember an improv act like this with these people on Just For Laughs (of course I was probably thinking of when Colin and Brad played Sound Effects on Just For Laughs).

Dad looked at me like I was crazy and said "No, it's Whose Line is it Anyway."

Those words meant absolutely nothing to me.

SEE HOW MUCH I'VE CHANGED?!

So I went out of the room when the video was done, not sure what I had just seen or why those people (especially the bald guy) looked so goshdarn familiar, and I've decided I probably watched it when I was younger with my dad, though I can't remember it, and that I remembered Colin from Just For Laughs. Again, I heard Mom and Dad laughing at the computer. Again I entered the room, curious.

It was the same people on the same set, only this scene was the famous "THE CAT!"

So the next time I was on the computer I decided to look up the show, wondering what it was. And I laughed and I enjoyed it, and I discovered games that I loved (my favourite at that time was Irish Drinking Song - again, I've changed so much). But after a while it faded from my memory, and I didn't really think about it anymore.

Fast forward quite a few months - past Thanksgiving, past Christmas, past my birthday. All this time passed and I didn't give Whose Line a second thought. Of course, from my brief binge of it in October, I now knew what it was and all their names and a few inside jokes, a few games - I knew the basics. But I didn't love it, I didn't even really think about it at all.

Spring break comes.

The first week of spring break, I believe my grandmother was there, and I was occupied and generally not bored, though when away from school I rarely saw any of my friends. Then after the first week of spring break my grandmother leaves and I realize that I really don't have anything to do. Anna had an excuse at all times to not come over, Erin had her fifty other friends that were four years older than her, and everyone else I was too shy to call them up. Not because we weren't close friends, but because I perhaps had a bad rep with their parents (or their parents had a bad rep with me). Anyways, no matter the reason, I was extremely bored and extremely lonely. Aimless. And while I do enjoy being alone, I had thought of about all I could think about by myself. I was just so incredibly bored.

Then while surfing Youtube and realizing I had nothing in particular I had on my mind to watch, on a whim I looked up Whose Line again. It was the first time I had even thought of the thing in months, but I searched it on a whim.

And I laughed. And laughing felt really really good.

So I looked it up again the next day. And again, I laughed. And again, it felt really really good.

Before long, it had become an addiction. No, I was not in the fandom quite yet, I was not obsessed. I was addicted. There's a difference.

And, though addiction is regarded as a negative word, I don't think being addicted to laughter is the worst you can go. It was what I needed in order to survive the rest of my lonely week.

The funny thing is, I didn't even realize I was addicted. I just looked up the show and laughed. That was all it was to me. It was only until one night when I was conversing with my mom and I started telling her something that I realized I spent an abnormal amount of time watching these clips.

Me: So, today I was watching Whose Line -

Mom: *sarcastically* There's a surprise.

I shrugged it off, not ashamed, and continued to watch the thing anyway.

And when school started and the crap in our friend group began to do what we call in english class the "rising action" (which comes right before the climax) I watched it to cheer myself from a crappy six hours of my life.

THAT was when I became obsessed.

I knew everything about Whose Line - or I thought I did. I still remember surfing the Whose Line clips after a couple months of watching it, thinking I'd probably seen it all, and finding a related video on the side that said "Whose Line: Whose Line (Game)" and thinking "Whose Line GAME?!?!?! There's a GAME called Whose Line?!?!?!" Fandom was young.

And, though it's perhaps lost just a little of the first time magic that Whose Line has when you see it for the first time, when I watch it I simply can't stop smiling. In fact, after a while, my face hurts from smiling so much, but I don't regret it at all. And I laugh still. And I love it still, though I'm not nearly as insecure and lonely as I previously was.

See, when I'm lonely and bored, I get into this state of mind, where I start to blame everything on myself. I get depressed, I get snappy, I get into this place where I simply can't stand myself. I feel like I have no friends. I feel like I've failed at everything I ever tried. It's just not a good space, and it's very very hard to get me out of that. But Whose Line always has something to remind me that I can laugh. Whose Line is like a four minute therapy session. Watch a clip and you're already feeling better. And last year I was very prone to these bouts of depression - hell, this year I probably will be too, though it hasn't happened yet - and that was why I loved Whose Line. Because it actually did help me. It said "Hey, remember you can laugh? You should try that again." It just always makes me feel good.

Because, I've said this before and I'll say it again, Whose Line would simply not be the same without the friendships it has within the cast. Because not only are the scenes one of the funniest things you will ever see, but they can laugh at themselves and at each other afterward, and you can sense the friendship happening and you can sort of feel the companionship. That was what it was for me at least. When I was lonely, Whose Line gave me laughter and companionship. Because I wasn't just laughing at what they were doing - I was laughing with them. THAT'S the magic.

And maybe I'm not depressed, but it's still something I love, and I'll probably always love it, though the fandomness might fade. This isn't just a show to me. This is important to me. And I'm not the only one.

THAT'S why I love this show.

*takes deep breath* Okay, the love story's over. You may exit the theatre now, but please remember to throw your wrappers in the garbage.

Peace out, Whosebuddies,

MeganH

Six Degrees of Separation

So, just yesterday, I was thinking "Can it possibly be true that we know everyone in the world through just six degrees of separation?" I thought of the fact that I knew Mother Theresa through less than six degrees, and various other celebrities, and naturally, my thoughts wandered to the Whose Line boys (Wayne, Colin, Ryan, etc.). And, in spite of the fact that Colin and Ryan had grown up in Vancouver, I couldn't think of any possibly way I knew them.

Well, today, whilst driving home from high school with my neighbour Carly and her mother Laura, we were talking about a boy in a few of my classes called Tora, who Laura and Carly had met yesterday. Now Tora's a nice kid.... when you first meet him. But try filming a school project with him. He's a pain in the ass.

So anyway, I said "Yeah, Tora's nice when you first meet him. After that he's EVIL." Then added, for Anna's sake, "But he likes Whose Line, so it's okay."

"He likes what, love?" Laura asked.

"Whose Line - oh. You don't know this yet, but I'm obsessed with the show Whose Line."

"What's that?" Laura asks hesitantly.

"Whose Line is it Anyway?"

"Oh! I remember that show. The improv one, right?"

"Yeah," I said, getting excited.

"It's true. She rants on and on," Anna added. "Ask me anything about Whose Line or Colin Mochrie, she tells me everything." Then added, just in case, "Colin Mochrie's the bald canadian one."

"Oh, I know," Laura said. "He's hilarious."

"He is, right?!" I said it loudly but I wasn't trying to be loud. I was just minorly fangirling again.

"Isn't he hilarious?" Laura said. "You know, I used to work with his cousin."

My mouth dropped open. "NO WAY."

"Way."

"NO WAY."

"Way!"

"NO WAY." I sounded so stupid, but it was the only thing I could manage to say without squealing like a little girl. I started to have a seizure - which in this context means that I flapped my hands around like a retard and giggled loudly and obnoxiously like a four year old.

Soon after that conversation returned to normal topics, and it was gone from my mind for the time being. And now, after a little thought and an episode of Improv-a-Ganza and an episode of Whose Line to clear my head, I realized that I actually DO know Colin Mochrie - through just three degrees of separation now. Which means I know everyone in the Whose Line universe through four degrees of separation. I realized that while Wayne and Colin were reading the credits, and I had to suppress manic giggling and fangirl flapping as I realized it.

Three degrees.

Just three.

NO WAY.

WLiiA Meme: Day 28

Day 28: A General Favourite/Worst Moment

Um, that's a big category. Holy crap. The first thing to pop into my head is the Hollywood Director where it's supposed to be set in Mexico, with Ryan as Zorro and everything (least I think it was Mexico) and they're all doing AWFUL accents. It starts with Kathy doing this incredibly bad slip up in her accent, and then when Colin comes on as the director he's got this mixure of german and russian and, like, asian accent......... god, that just never fails to make me laugh. Gotta be my favourite playing of Hollywood director, and that's a great game.

Actually, whenever Colin has to do an accent. Right there, that is my favourite moment out of Whose Line. Everytime Colin has to do an accent. Be it british, french, german, scottish, he will do terribly bad. And it will be great. And I will laugh.

*sigh*........ ah...... yeah.

Peace out, Whosebuddies,

MeganH

P.S "Yore from Cahnahdah, ahren't you?" "Ches, and my modders from Sveeden." xD

I'm Not Creepy.......

Conversation I had with my mom just now:

Me: Mom, I told you I need to rant to keep my sanity, right? Here, just look at my blog so you see what I mean.

*scrolls through quickly*

Mom: Okay, there's way too much of Colin on there. That's creepy.

Me: It's not creepy. You know what's creepy? This is creepy. *shows her the Tumblr "F*ck Yeah Colin Mochrie*

Mom: Okay, that's enough.

*later, after scrolling through a few pages of my blog*

Me: You know, now that you mention it, I do seem to be favouring Colin a little, don't I? 

The understatement of the century.

The funny thing about this is that I deny it to other people, but I know I am a very creepy fangirl. I have spent at least forty five minutes, one night, scrolling through the White Pages and searching for Colin's house in Toronto so I could have his home address. Turns out, he, nor his wife, post their home address in the White Pages (probably so creepy people like me don't find it) although I may now have their home number! (Hee hee).

But it's okay, because I have a new plan. Okay, it might take time and determination and perseverance. But that's okay, cause I have all that. Besides, what else am I going to do while Gorillavid loads, right?

I'm not creepy.

Yes I am.

BUT NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW.

And now, to complete this post, a picture of Colin.