Our Favorite Mistakes:Theme From RED

"I kissed him intensely and at the moment I didn’t care if I was making a mistake."-Peyton Hayley Giordano (RED)

Starting today, I'm going to write blog posts based on the many themes of my upcoming novel, RED. I think sometimes people get so caught up in a story that they forget to take lessons out of them. I'm going to make it easier for you all to pick out the lessons and themes from the book. You'll understand more once you read it. 

 

As most of you all know (hopefully all of you), no one is perfect...not one of us. Therefore, it only makes sense for characters in books to not be perfect. They need flaws like everyone else. RED is full of characters with flaws (some major, some minor). The topic of today's post is mistakes. We all make them and we're all guilty of them. 

 

The problem with mistakes is that we usually know beforehand when we're making one. In fact, a lot of mistakes are premeditated but something inside of us pushes us to do it or "give it a try" anyway. We tend to count these things as mistakes but are they really? I like to believe that we all have our favorite mistakes...the ones we keep making over and over again. Eventually we learn but it takes times, even years!

 

What is it about us that we have to keep doing the same things over and over before we learn? Are we just wired that way? Is it human nature? Are we all just a little "crazy"? I think in a way we're all martyrs because that need for drama or hurt is what feeds us (all of the writers/artists out there know what I'm talking about). In my opinion, characters should be no different. 

 

There are plenty of moments in the novel where readers may hate the main character or call her "stupid" or even just get plain tired of her but again, that's the point. It's realistic. Have you ever met a teenager who didn't continuously make the same mistakes while trying to find who they are? Again, we're all guilty of it. The act of making mistakes is a vicious cycle and it sometimes takes more than once for us to get it and change our ways. 

 

Another funny thing about mistakes is that we tend to make the same mistakes our parents or siblings made. Sometimes we learn from their mishaps but other times we find ourselves in the same place they once were. How frustrating is that?! 

 

That's another concept you'll see a lot in RED; Peyton making  a lot of the same mistakes her mother and father already made...except most of the time she doesn't even know she's making them. Some are bothersome to read and others are a little easier to digest (but they're all frustrating). 

 

At the end of the day it's important to remember that we're all just human and making mistakes is part of being just that. We don't always learn the first time and sometimes even the second or third, but it's okay as long as we do learn eventually. There's no time span on how long it takes. Some mistakes are bigger than others but that doesn't mean that they can't be made right. Whether your favorite mistake is cheating, pushing people away, rebellion, or finding yourself in some less than desirable situation...it's okay. It all can turn around if you just drop your ego, let go, and learn. Ego...that sounds like a good topic/theme to talk about next. 

 

Here's a song all about making the same mistakes over and over:

I'm The One That's Got To Die, So Let Me Live!

"Whatever it is that you do, you should do
You should do it with your head held high
So when you're doing your thing it's 'cause you wanna
And they never can ask you why"-
Pink (Do What You Do)

The legendary Jimi Hendrix once said, "I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” For some reason people don't understand what he was saying. I mean, it's pretty self explanatory so why is it that people are still clutching their chests as if they're about to have a heart attack over someone's decision? Why are people still judging others in this day and age? 

What I have come to find in my short lifetime is that usually the judgmental ones are the biggest hypocrites. Those self righteous individuals wouldn't know true righteousness if it was crammed down their throats. I'm tired of living in a time where people get judged based on their looks. The world teaches us that looks aren't everything yet everyone is so quick to judge someone because they present themselves in a different way than most. 

I had an incredible English teacher when I was in high school. Her name is Mrs. Sullivan and she taught us the most important lesson anyone could ever give another. She taught us to never conform and to never be like anyone else or falter to society's "rules" and "standards". She taught me how to be an individual and think for myself and forget who is talking or watching. This lesson has set me free. 

Conformity binds us. That old saying, "if you can't beat them, join them," is lethal to the soul. It's basically telling you to kill who you are and just fit in and shut up. Never shut up! People have these misconstrued ideas and logic on what someone should be like because of their title. Am I supposed to be like you because we identify with the same group? NO! Open your eyes and see that I am an individual and I shouldn't be expected to do something because you think it's right. We need to start standing up for ourselves.

What do you see when you look at me? Chances are, you probably got me all wrong. Do you want to know what I stand for? What I represent? How about you ask me? Maybe you should have a chat with me over lunch to hear what I believe in or what I am passionate about. Truth is you know nothing about my struggles so you can't possibly know me or even have an idea about me until you actually get to know me. This goes for everyone. We all have different looks, personalities, and ways of expression and we should be free to show this without being prejudged.

Want to know who I am? I'm a girl who believes in feminism and equal rights for all. I advocate for those who suffer from mental illnesses and I will always encourage people to be whoever they want. I like short dresses and tight fitting clothes because I believe a woman's body is her own and it is her choice to do whatever she wants with it. She should embrace it and love it whether it is privately or publicly. I'm an animal lover and will help someone at the drop of a dime as long as I have the means. I stand up for my friends and will probably take a bullet for my dog. I'm really shy upon first meeting and a lot of people mistake this for weakness. I support those I believe in and loyalty goes a long way with me. I obsess over crazy hair color and I like rocking out to rock music in my room alone. You probably didn't see half of these things when you looked at me.

If you want to judge someone based on what you see on the outside, then go ahead! It's probably your loss anyway. That person that you judge is probably one of the most amazing people you would ever come to know. If you are the one being judged, then I say to you do not change for anyone or anything. It's like what Kacey Musgraves said, "just 'cause you can't beat them, don't mean you should join them!"