Passing Thoughts: Mind reading

A few days ago I was watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which she gains the ability to read minds.

Which got me thinking (as many things tend to do): would I, if given the chance, like to be able to read minds?

Yes. Of course. I'd love to know what people are thinking. It's like extra-deluxe people watching!

No. Never. It's an invasion of privacy, and goodness knows I wouldn't want to know everything that everyone was thinking.

But it would be interesting, we keep so much hidden behind our words. Even if we aren't afraid to show who we are, our minds are the one place no one can get to unless we permit them, and if mind reading were possible, barriers would fall apart between both friends (close and not), family, and strangers.

Obviously, excessive secrecy is bad, but complete openness in all aspects of life does not do one any good either.

I "read" people. I always have. I form judgements about them based on their body language, but I also rely on visual signals to have a good conversation. Because of this, I have a very hard time talking on the phone. I get extremely anxious at the prospect of having to make a telephone call, the only people with whom I feel completely okay with calling are my parents. Even other family members and close friends make me nervous.

This is also why I don't really love texting. It's a false sense of communication.

On that note, I'm so very glad I did not have any phone interviews for college. That is a true blessing.

Passing Thoughts

Sometimes,

she wonders
about things like
time travel
and
magical genies that grant you
three wishes

she knows just what her wishes would be,
she's thought this through,
planned them out so that nothing can go wrong,
so that she will be happy,

alive once again,
calm, at peace,

she wishes
she could live in those lands-
the ones where fairytales are real,
with witches and princesses and
animals that you can talk to.

but she knows,
she knows,
none of this is real,

not really.

(c) October 2011