Hi everyone! So we continue to see how Rodrigo continues to help Helga in her daily life. He decides to help her find inspiration to write poetry again through...a German philosopher and heavy metal music?
*Rriinnngg* *Rrrinnnngg*
"Hello?" Rodrigo responded to his home phone ringing.
"Good Afternoon, may I speak with Rodrigo Castile?" The caller asked.
"Speaking."
"Hello Rodrigo. This is Jennifer Houston from the CTV Radio channel. We received your online submission for a chance to win tickets for the upcoming Linkin Park concert and I am calling to let you know that you our prime winner. Congratulations!"
"Really? I won?! Oh, thank you!" Rodrigo happily shouted.
"You're very welcome. We have emailed your two tickets through the email address that you provided us. Just print them and show them at the entrance and they will let you in. If you have any questions or concerns you can always either email us back or call us. You take care now." Jennifer said.
"I will and thanks again!" Rodrigo said. He then hanged up the phone and started jumping up and down happily.
Despite being heavily into Latin music, Rodrigo was no stranger to rock or heavy metal bands. His favorite bands were Linkin Park and Disturbed. In about a week, Linkin Park will be performing at the Hillwood Stadium and he won two tickets to see them! Talk about a stroke of luck.
Hmm, I wonder whom I can take with me? He thought.
The next day during lunchtime...
Rodrigo entered the lunchroom and as usual, saw all of his friends at their usual sitting table, except Helga. Not being bothered by her absence, he quickly approached their table, eager to find out who how would like to see Linkin Park with him.
"Hey guys." Rodrigo greeted them. Everyone greeted him back. "Guess what?" He continued. "I just won two tickets to see Linkin Park this weekend. Anyone down to see it with me?" He eagerly asked.
To his surprise, his friends did not seem too eager to fight over that extra ticket.
"No thank you Rodrigo." Phoebe said while continuing to read.
"No thanks, man. I'm more into jazz and rap" Gerald admitted.
"I like heavy metal, but I don't consider Linkin Park to be a heavy metal band; more like an alternative rock band, which I'm not into, sorry." Sid said.
What?! Sid, those are fighting words! Rodrigo thought annoyingly.
"I don't like music, it gives me a headache." Harold said.
"Gosh sorry Rodrigo, but I'm not into rock." Eugene said.
"Neither am I, sorry Rod" Stinky also said.
He looked toward the girls and asked, "What about you ladies?"
"Sorry Rodrigo." Sheena responded back while shaking her head.
"I would come, but I've already made plans for that weekend. Sorry Rodrigo." Nadine confessed.
"I'm ever so flattered you asked, but I'm not into rock." Lila said.
Finally, Rodrigo looked at Rhonda, hoping if she would say yes, although he wasn't holding his breath.
"Now I know you did not just ask me to attend a concert that permeates in low class culture, did you Rodrigo?" Rhonda asked.
"Low class?! This band puts a lot emotional and poetic gestures into their songs. They tell a story about how people feel and how they see things, psychologically speaking." Rodrigo protested.
"Sure they do Rodrigo. " Rhonda said while rolling her eyes.
"Sheesh, désolé Rhonda. Je suis sȗr que personne ne veut te voir á perdre tes cellules du cerveau." (Sheesh, sorry Rhonda. I'm sure that nobody wants to see you lose your brain cells) Rodrigo mockingly responded back.
Rhonda simply smiled back, being a little glad that Rodrigo still maintained some level of culture in him.
"Seriously, you guys suck." Rodrigo bluntly told everyone.
Great, what am I doing to do with this extra ticket? I guess I'll just sell it on Amazon or Ebay. At least, I'll make some money. He thought.
Just then, Phoebe suggested, "why don't you ask Helga? I'm sure she would like to go with you and I know that she is also into heavy metal."
"Alternative rock." Sid attempted to correct her.
"Sid! You and I are going to have a talk about that later." Rodrigo exclaimed.
But Sid merely laughed and said, "hehe, bring it on."
Ignoring him, he looked at Phoebe and said, "Helga? Well, I could. Do you think she will really go?"
"After the dance you and her did at Rhonda's Halloween party, anything is possible." Phoebe said.
"Ok, I'll go ask her. Any ideas where she is right now, Pheebs?" Rodrigo asked.
"I think she said she is going to try and enroll in an after school activity, but I'm not sure which one. She never specified." Phoebe said.
After school activity? Is she going to enroll in the poetry club? That's good! I hope so. He thought.
"Thanks Phoebe. I think I know where she is." Rodrigo said with a smile. After saying a quick goodbye to everyone, he went off to find Helga.
As Rodrigo went on his way, he frowned at the thought of asking Helga to go with them. He was not particularly happy about asking her. After what happened at Rhonda's party, he did not want her attitude to ruin his night in seeing Linkin Park. The only reason why he is willing to ask her is because she eventually pulled through that night and they ended up having a good time. Besides, at this point, he had no one else to ask.
Hopefully she is in a good mood today. He thought.
For almost 10 minutes, Helga had been standing just outside the room where the poetry club members were having their meeting. For 10 minutes she contemplated going in, yet each time she remained motionless, unable to even left her hand to grab the doorknob.
Rodrigo was quickly making his way towards the room and had just made the turn, when he stopped suddenly at the sight of seeing Helga there, just standing at the entrance. After several seconds, he realized that she did not see him and so quietly, retraced his steps and moved back into the corner, where he could see her, hoping if she would gather enough strength to go inside.
After one of their previous dancing practices, Helga told Rodrigo about she used to write poetry and short stories years back. Considering how much Helga loved to dance, he was not surprised by this. He then asked her when did she stop writing, to which she responded back, "about two years ago." Curiously, he then asked her why she stopped writing, to which she replied back, "I lost my motivation to write, my passion, my creativity." However, when he then asked her what made her lost her passion and creativity, she said nothing, hinting that she did not wish to reveal that to him. Rodrigo suspected that given how Arnold left around the same time, it may have something to do with him, but he did not press Helga with any further questions on the matter. She did tell him though that since she started high school, she has been trying to back into writing, only to fail repeatedly. She only took up dancing out of frustration and as a substitute for her lack of ability to write anything. Despite how much she likes to dance, writing poetry and short stories was her passion, it is where she had always excelled at; it is what made Helga, Helga.
As Helga continued to stand at the entrance, she contemplated on what exactly she was going to write about. Oh she already knew, but she was not able to write about that. It is one of the reasons why she kept on hesitating from writing again. More than a year after Arnold left, Helga actually started writing poetry again, but to her dismay, she could only write about her love for him and nothing else. With Arnold now being gone, this no longer made sense, and worse, writing about him was a painful reminder, so much so, that she was never able to finish any of her poems, resulting in always tearing it up. So, she stopped writing and vowed not to start it up again until she was able to write something else, something else that inspired her. She has been stuck ever since.
As Rodrigo looked on, he cheered for her in thought, come on Helga, you can do it; just go inside and listen to what other people have to say about their poetry. You can draw inspiration from them.
Finally, Helga relented and started to walk away the other way, feeling defeated yet again.
Damn it! Not again. He thought.
He moved back from the corner and just sighed. He cannot imagine how demoralized Helga must be feeling right now. He wanted to help her out, help her find her inspiration again. But how and what?
Then, he remembered the extra concert ticket he still had in his pocket and thought that perhaps going there would help her.
It couldn't hurt to try. It's not as if what she has been doing has been helping her. He thought.
History class...
When their history class was about to start, Rodrigo came in and saw that Helga was already in her seat, sadly writing away. He calmly walked to towards his seat and sat down. He had previously pondered if he should tell her that he saw her standing at the club entrance.
"Hey" he said.
When Helga said nothing, he continued.
"I'm sorry, Helga"
"For what?" she asked. That got her attention.
"I saw you standing at the poetry club entrance during lunchtime and...I saw that you did not go in." he said.
Before Helga could say anything, he quickly continued on, "I know you said you have been struggling to write again, and I think I may be able to help you with that. And no, I was not spying on you, if that is what you are thinking."
"How?" she asked, while looking dead straight at Rodrigo.
"Well, the reason why I was looking for you is because I won two concert tickets to see this band perform and I think you going to see them could help."
"Please explain how going to some dumb rock band is going to help me write again." she asked him, now growing more irritating.
Rodrigo thought carefully on what to say. He then confidently looked straight at her eyes and said,
"Inspiration. This band has been known to write very deep and inspiring lyrics. And we all know that music looks deep into the dark essence of the human soul. Heavy metal music especially, has the ability to do that."
"Look Latino boy, I don't need some dumb band to help me get inspired, and I don't need your help in telling me what to write." Helga barked back.
Rodrigo had anticipated her saying something defensive, so he came prepared this time.
"Actually you do, because this 'dumb' band and myself have something that you no longer have." he countered.
Helga was taken aback by his response, but said nothing.
"Look Helga, I'm not telling you what, nor how you should write. All I am offering is helping you find your inspiration back so you can write again, that's all. Just a little push" he said.
"So how about it? I'm sure you got nothing else to do this weekend." he continued with a smile this time.
After some time, Helga merely said, "Let me think about it."
"OK." he said, but then quickly added, "I'll make sure my cell is on this time."
Helga simply rolled her eyes at his comment, just as the teacher was starting their class.
Once history class was over, Rodrigo stood up and was making his way towards the exit when Helga called out to him.
"What band is going to be performing?"
"Linkin Park"
"Linkin Park? I already heard some of their songs and lyrics. How is going to see them going to inspire me?"
"Have you ever listened to their songs? Listened to what they are actually saying?" he asked.
"Are you deaf? I just said I've heard some of their songs." she retorted.
"I know you have heard some of their songs, but have you actually listened to them? There is a difference between hearing and listening. Plus, there is also a difference between sitting in your room, alone and hearing their music, than going to see them, along with 40,000 other people, all chanting and listening in, allowing you to...feel their words and be involved, being part of the world." He responded.
"What I think maybe the problem is that you have lost your Dasein." He continued.
"My Da-what?"
"Your Dasein. It is a term that the German philosopher Martin Heidegger used to refer to a person who is being in the world, heavily involved in it. I can explain more on how this relates to you if you decide to come with me to the concert." he said.
"How do you know if this will work?" she asked.
"I don't. But it's your choice."
Later that evening...
As Rodrigo was working on his homework, his cell vibrated. He grabbed it and saw that he got a text message, from Helga.
Helga: Hey, you still got that extra ticket for that concert?
Rodrigo: Yup.
Helga: Ok, I'll go with you.
Rodrigo: Great. I can pick up from your house.
Helga: This better work, bucko!
Rodrigo: That'll be up to you on how you see things, Helga. Besides you are attending a concert for free, what are you complaining about?
Helga: pfft, whatever Latino boy, just make sure you get to my house on time
Rodrigo: ;)
On the night of the concert...
Helga was attempting to find what to wear for the concert. Seeing as how it is a heavy metal band, she was trying to go for a little more...punkish. However, in the end, she just grabbed some jeans, a pink shirt with a black sweater and a jacket.
Despite Rodrigo's confidence, she was still skeptical about all of this. She didn't understand how seeing a heavy metal band was going to inspire her to find her...Dasein?
What does that word even mean? What does 'being in the world', have to do with writing poetry? And where have I heard of that German guy before? She thought.
Rodrigo was also getting ready to go to the concert. He decided to wear regular jeans, with a dark blue sweater. He also decided to wear his leather jacket, along with his fedora hat. He was grateful that his father had given him permission to use the car tonight to drive to downtown Hillwood, otherwise, it would have been a long bus ride there.
As soon as he was ready, he went out, turned on the car and drove to Helga's house. Once he arrived, he texted her to come out. 4 minutes later, she came out, sat on the passenger's seat and Rodrigo started driving.
As they were driving to the stadium, Helga decided to ask him more about what this German word meant.
"So, what is Dasein?"
"It is a bit of a complicated word. It literally means 'being there'. Yet, the way Heidegger meant it, it was more complex. From my understanding, on the one hand, it refers to a person literally being part of the world, from going to school, to associating with your friends, having a career, family, being affected by natural disasters, etc. On the other hand, because a person is involved in the world, that person is not just being affected by that world; he or she can also be an active agent in creating that world. You with me so far?" Rodrigo said.
"I guess so."
"Great. So any person that is both being affected, but also having an effect on the world around him, is what Heidegger called, an 'authentic' being. An authentic person is essentially someone who is being engaged by the world, but also engaging in it. The opposite of that is an 'inauthentic' person or being that is not being an active agent in the world; the person merely allows the world to affect him, while not influencing it. You Helga, are an inauthentic' person. Your issue is that you allow the world to influence you, to affect you, but you make little to no attempt to influence it, to engage in it, creatively. What's more, I think that you have become detached from this world, believing that you are distinct from it and you want nothing to do with it. I can understand that, but unfortunately that is not an option. Whether you like to accept it or not, unless you decide to engage in this world, you lose your own individuality, your own sense of being, as a person."
"So you are saying that I am nothing more than this world's puppet? That I merely let it influence me and just react to it, but make no attempt to change it in a way that allows me to live life as my own sense of self?" She asked.
"Precisely."
"What does this crap have to do with me writing poetry?" Helga asked with an irritating tone.
Undeterred by her irritation, Rodrigo continued. "You spend so much time merely reacting what the world throws at you, that you spend little time in 'creatively' trying to affect it. Think of a metaphor between a slave and its master. How can the slave do what it wants if the master is always there, telling the slave what to do?"
"I'm not sure how or under what circumstances you lost your creativity to write. Whatever happened, whatever event came at you, it must have been so great and so destructive that even two years later, you are reeling from its affect. Its influence is so great still, that you are unable to get off of you."
Rodrigo heavily suspects that this 'great event' was Arnold's departure, but because Helga never directly told him that this was the case, he did not wish to reveal what he may already know to her. With Helga, it is always best if you just allow her to tell you.
Helga did not respond back, as she plunged into deep thought about what Rodrigo had just said. Rodrigo realized this and made no attempt to get her out of it. On the contrary, he wanted her to think about it.
After a moment of silence, she then asked him,
"And you think that going to this concert is going to make this 'influence' get off my back and allow me to achieve Dasein?"
"Perhaps. I'm not sure, but Linkin Park did help me." He admitted.
"And if it doesn't help me?"
"Then, it doesn't. But at least you got to go outside and see a concert. I'm sure it would have been better than you just moping around in your room, right?" He said with a smirk.
Helga just gave him a weak smirk before looking straight again.
Wanting to lighten the mood, he then turned on the radio and put on a CD
The song, called Last Resort by Papa Roach started to play.
Cut my life into pieces, this is my last resort
suffocation, no breathing, don't give a f***
if I cut my arm bleeding.
This is my last resort.
Cut my life into pieces...
"Ever heard of this song before?" Rodrigo asked loudly.
"No!"
"Good, listen to it and enjoy the night!"
Rodrigo then turned up the volume even more, lowered down the front windows and as he was getting into the highway, and started speeding up.
Cuz I'm losing my sight, losing my mind
wish somebody would tell me I'm fine.
Losing my sight, losing my mind
wish somebody would tell me I'm fine.
Nothing is alright. Nothing is fine.
I'm running and crying...
Helga did begin to enjoy herself and started getting into the music, raising her arms in excitement as Rodrigo sped up, allowing the cold air to circulate inside the car and around their bodies.
20 minutes later...
It's my life. It's now or never
I ain't gonna live for forever
I just wanna life while
I'm alive (It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said I did it my way.
I just wanna life while I'm alive.
It's my life...
Rodrigo was able to find a parking spot not far from the stadium. He turned off the radio. Then they got out of the car and walked toward the main entrance. Rodrigo showed them their tickets and the personnel let them in without issue. The stadium was already getting packed, making the journey to their seats rather challenging. Luckily, they found them without issue and sat down, waiting for the concert to begin.
"Ugh, no doubt the band will start 20-30 minutes late, just to increase the anxiety that is already rising up in here." Helga said.
"I won't be surprised."
After sitting for some minutes, Helga asked,
"So how do I go about achieving this, Dasein?"
"By immersing yourself into the music and the crowd. Let me ask you a question. The first time we danced, we started off badly. But when I asked you to not think about it, to just feel it, what happened?"
"I closed my eyes and let the music feel right through me. I guess in a way, I let the music become part of me, in which I was able to feel it and allow my body follow to its beat." She explained.
"Exactly! So do the same here. The only major difference here is that you will be doing it with 40,000 other people. You will feel lost, but not alone. But you can only do it if you allow yourself do it. Don't force it; otherwise it will not work, got it?"
"I guess."
Sure enough, the stadium darkened, then the lights went bright, some moving around randomly, while others were lightening the stage. Then, before appearing, Linkin Park started to play their first music,
"Good luck and enjoy." Rodrigo said to Helga before Linkin Park appeared on stage.
Then, out of the darkness, the lead singer appeared and started singing. It was very hard to see him, as the person looked somewhat transparent; often appearing, then disappearing whenever the lights moved away. It was as if he was a ghost. Yet, there was no doubt on anyone's mind who that person was. One could tell by the raw emotion coming out, followed by his soft and delicate singing tone: Chester Bennington.
Crawling in my skin, these wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall, confusing what is real!
There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
Consuming, confusing. This lack of self control I fear is never ending
Controlling, I can't seem To find myself again My walls are closing in
Without a sense of confidence And I'm convinced That there's just too much pressure to take
I've felt this way before, so insecure!
The song Helga heard, instantly sent a cold shiver down her spine, as it described her situation perfectly. Despite it being more than two years, her wounds still have not healed. Despite trying desperately for two years to regain her composure, her passion, her life, she has repeatedly failed. Fear, the fear of loss, of never regaining any sense of purpose or happiness, this fear has plagued her since she was three years of age, and it had only intensified during the last two years, preventing her from fully embracing herself, her sense of being, her life back!
Crawling in my skin, these wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall, confusing what is real
Crawling in my skin, these wounds they will not heal
As she continued to listen, she saw that Rodrigo was already immersed into the song, singing, along with everyone else. Indeed, seeing everyone being completely into the music, into the words that the band was playing, they were all entwined with each other.
As Rodrigo predicted, Helga began to feel lost among this 40,000 audience, as they all concentrated their sights and energy toward the stage. It was a bit overwhelming because she felt out of place, as if she didn't belong there. Yet, she also knew that these people did not know each other, yet they were willing to come together, herself included, for one purpose, to enjoy not just the band and its music, but in a way, each other. They were all Linkin Park fans and it is this prevailing notion, this love for their music, is what drove them together and it is what is allowing them to embrace each other. It was then that Helga understood what Rodrigo meant by being lost but not alone.
Taking his advice, she didn't hear the song; she listened to it, allowing herself to consume the words. Slowly, but surely, she also began to embrace this togetheredness, this Dasein. It was not long before she not only began to participate, but feel that she was not really alone. She wanted to participate, she wanted to belong! No, that wasn't enough! she wanted to do her part and change this world, to influence it because she also mattered, not just to herself, but also to others! Whether they knew her, it mattered not. She was here to stay and she became more determined to make her mark. She felt this sense of thrill, this sense of excited adrenaline pumping through her body. She wanted to rip this world apart, not out of hatred or for its unfairness, but to change it in order to include her in it!
Then the band started playing a new song, one that struck Helga a deep chord. She felt her heart stop beating as she gasped for air, while Linkin Park played New Divide.
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
The distance in your eyes
Give me reason
To fill this hole
Connect this space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide.
There was nothing inside
The memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide
The ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
Between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
The distance in your eyes
Across this…
As she sang along, she felt tears falling down her cheeks. The song felt exactly how she felt about her situation with Arnold: all she had of him were memories, beautiful, yet fleeting memories of their time together. From the way he looked before he left, to the way they would hold hands together, to even their rough times. They were only whispers in her mind, coming often, only to disappear, resulting in her falling back down to reality while all she heard was his voice.
More than halfway in to concert, while still fully into the music, she began to mentally see words. At first, it was only few words here and there, then they disappeared. However, it started to slowly increase in appearance, then in intensity. These words were not just appearing before her eyes, they were hitting right smack in the face. She was feeling something, she was feeling that these words had a poetic rhythm to them. But they were not the words that Linkin Park were singing, at least not all of them As the concert progressed, she slowly started to realized that she was starting to make her own poetic rhythm. She was no longer just listening to the band singing, she was taking the words and re-wording them to her own fashion.
Am I regaining my creativity? She thought.
Once the concert ended, the entire stadium brightened, with Linkin Park expressing their thank you and gratitude. Chester Bennington gave a bow and blew kisses to everyone who made it out that night. Then, as the lights moved away from where he stood, he disappeared. The rest of the band then followed suit, walking back towards the back of the stage.
Rodrigo looked at Helga, who was still in a trance by the whole experience, asked her,
"Well, how was it?"
"It was...it was..." She started to say with a bright smile, but could not find the right words to expressing what she was feeling.
"It's ok. I'm glad you enjoyed it." he said.
The driving home was quiet. Helga was still in a bliss, but still not able to explain the sensation she felt. Rodrigo wanted to say something, but felt no words were needed. It was best to let Helga think about how she was feeling.
Just then, she spoke up and asked him,
"Are you hungry?"
"Starving, actually. You wanna go somewhere and get a bite to eat?" he asked.
"Ya, just somewhere around our neighborhood." She said.
Rodrigo pulled up to a burger joint not far from their homes. After ordering some food, they paid for it, sat down and began to eat.
"I take it you are still at a loss on how to describe what you feeling?" he asked.
"Ya."
"Can you at least tell me if you enjoyed it or if you are just planning on murdering me?" He jokingly asked.
"I enjoyed it...thanks for taking me there. Really, thanks" Helga confirmed with a smile.
"No problem. I hope it helps you."
"I think it will. I think I got this whole Dasein thing." she said.
As they ate their food quietly, Rodrigo thought, well this worked better than I thought.
"It's not just about being at a concert. What you experienced there, could also be experienced at any other event, even at church. That is why people attend such events. In my opinion, the real connection between Dasein and Linkin Park lies in the distinction between the band's lyrics and its music. The lyrics essentially describe about life's struggles; the struggle of not just facing serious challenges in life, but also in fighting from being a simple imprint of life. But you, like everyone else, also want to establish your own imprint, your own piece of creative work in this world. That is where the music comes in. It gives you that drive to move forward, to move past beyond the burdens of life and to actually succeed in it. Basically the music creates this outlet where you can give life the middle finger. Linkin Park's music gives you that outlet, this sense of empowerment. That is what Linkin Park is about; it is about not just enduring it, but also overcoming it. And Dasein is essentially about the struggle between being a mere imprint in life or about making your own imprint in it." He explained.
This kid is something else...she thought with a smile on her face.
"How do you know all of this; this word Dasein and everything else?" she asked.
"I read a lot. Despite how sociable of a person I may be, I am actually quite a loner. I spend a lot of my time reading books and analyzing stuff. I'm actually a rather introverted person. I spend more time analyzing people, rather than meeting them. My father has been a huge influence on me when it comes to this. He introduced me to philosophy, all of the social science and the arts, although I have never considered myself to be an artist; more like an amateur philosopher." he explained.
"Why just last week, I took home around 10 books from the school library just to read during the weekend. And that does not include the books from our classes." he continued.
"You are such a bookworm." she said to him.
"I'm an intellectual." he corrected her.
"Does you spending a lot of time reading have anything to do with what happened with your family back home?" she asked.
"More or less. I was like this even before I clashed with my family, and I became even more so after. That's why I kind of know what it is like to not be understood, to feel alone, to go about your life while everyone seems to be enjoying theirs in blissful ignorance, while you are fully aware of the challenges and struggles of life. You know what it means to suffer, and that makes you a wiser person than the average Joe."
"You think I am wise?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I think you are more aware of your psychology and emotions than most people are of theirs. I think you are more grateful and appreciative of the tiniest amounts of happiness that life throws at you than most people are. For you, just being with Arnold would have been enough; that would have made you happy, not wealth or power or fame. I think that not only makes you wiser, but also authentically human." Rodrigo explained.
"Well...thanks" Helga said, unable to say anything else.
Just then, she remembered where she said heard the name of that German philosopher.
"Wasn't Heidegger a member of the Nazi party during his time?"
Rodrigo looked up at Helga, not surprised at how she knew about this.
"Yes, he was and after the war, he was mostly unrepentant, which has made him more controversial."
"So you are taking philosophical discourses from a guy that supported a regime that killed millions?" Helga asked with a smirk.
"Don't mistake his politics with his philosophy. Despite his support for the Nazi regime, his philosophy is sound and whether we like it or not, cannot be ignored. I told you before that Aristotle was one of the greatest philosophers ever. Yet he was also, by our standards at least, sexist and racist. And while we can question some of their ideas, there are other ideas that are such mind blowing that they cannot, nor should they be ignored." he explained.
"Besides," he continued on, "from what I can gather, it seems that his philosophy is helping you, so it cannot be all that bad."
"Sure, whatever floats your boat, Latino boy." Helga said while smiling.
Two weeks later...
Helga was at home during the evening while finishing up her letter to Arnold.
Well football head, I am proud to say that I finally joined the poetry club at our school. A few days after going to the Linkin Park concert, I was finally inspired to write. Yes, you heard that right, bucko; Helga Pataki is back to writing poetry again. When I attended one of the poetry club's meetings, I had the chance to read my script and needless to say, people were impressed with what I wrote. I tried not let that get into my ego. I have Rodrigo to thank for this...and that Nazi guy Martin Heidegger. Don't worry your big football head, I have no intentions of backing out and I intent to making the most of it.
I have written a piece here that I would like to share with you whenever you come by and visit us at Hillwood. No, I'm not going mail this to you, just in case if some dumb post personnel decides to open it and read it. You know my paranoia with my poems being exposed.
How's the cultural life in the new city? Met any famous poems or artist yet? I hope your parents are also getting a chance to enjoy the city and not just work, work, work.
Votre artiste amie,
Helga G. Pataki
Once Helga completed her letter, she carefully placed inside her binder and then put it back inside her closet. She then laid down on her bed, put her headphones on, and started listening to one of the Link Park songs that she heard at the concert that night: Papercut.
Why does it feel like night today?
Something in the air's not right today
Why am I so uptight today?
Paranoia's all I got left
I don't know what stressed me first
Or how the pressure was fed
But I know just what it feels like
To have a voice in the back of my head
Like a face that I hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face watches every time I lie
A face that laughs every time I fall
(It watches everything)
So I know now when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is hearing me
Right beneath my skin
It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
I know I've got a face in me
Points out all my mistakes to me
You've got a face on the inside too
Your paranoia's probably worse
I don't know what set me off first but I know what I can't stand
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is
I can't add up to what you can but
Everybody has a face that they hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face that watches every time they lie
A face that laughs every time they fall
(It watches everything)
So you know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is watching you too
Right inside your skin
It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me
It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
That about wraps it up. I hope this was enlightening for you guys.
I wanted to make this story as a small tribute to the late lead singer, Chester Bennington who passed away in 2017. His voice showed the passion and raw emotion of the band and he will be greatly missed. RIP.