bad rap

[insertusername]

bad rap

The things we become known for aren’t always what we’d like to be known for. Reputations are hard to run from. Sometimes they’re not even deserved. So here’s your chance to set the record straight. Clear up some misplaced assumptions, debunk any rumours about yourself and defy your stereotypes.

how to play:

Top level with something(s) your character is tired of people assuming about them, blaming them for, or pigeonholing them about, etc. Say it in person or over text.

Comment on any surprising, or not so surprising declarations.

Comments

[motiontostrike]

Cosmically speaking. Life has meaning beyond the here and now. Death isn't the end of the story. That's the kind of something I'm referring to here.

[horticulturalist]

Isn't that kind of circular logic? Faith means recognizing something bigger than yourself. But this bigger thing you recognize, you're taking on faith?

[motiontostrike]

You're not wrong. It does sound a lot like that, doesn't it? I don't claim it's all rational, or even rooted in logic. That's where the faith comes in.

My point is, I don't let it live there. My belief in God doesn't mean I put everything in His hands and let Him do all the work. It's a guiding principle, not a cop-out.

[horticulturalist]

I gotta say... feels like a cop out.

[motiontostrike]

I wish I could say I'm surprised. I understand, though. It's all right. Religious doctrine historically hasn't been kind to everyone. I knew there was a risk, saying I'm misunderstood because of my faith.

[horticulturalist]

Like you said, it means you don't have to have all the answers, but I can't help thinking a lot of people just fill in the blanks with faith and stop looking.

Not that I'd blame you. I get it. I like to keep a few sure-fire conversation-enders in my back pocket too. "I don't have any skin," always works like charm.

[motiontostrike]

Maybe they do. I don't know that I'd blame anyone who finds a little peace for themselves and decides to hold on. I'm probably not the mind who's going to unlock the eternal answer of life itself, no matter how much I question and scrutinize and deny. So what's the problem with hanging onto whatever lets me breathe a little easier?

You... Hey, if you're trying to end the conversation, you don't have to be coy.

[horticulturalist]

Nothing. I guess it just rubs people the wrong way more than most escapism.

No, no. I'm just saying— you say keep the faith, I say lost my face. They both bring us some peace and quiet.

[motiontostrike]

You're right about that. I'm not saying I don't know why. Only that I think we've all got something, and this works for me.

Does that really work for you? It seems like a coin toss. You don't get people thinking you owe them a story?

[horticulturalist]

Does it ever get in the way of all the... lawyering? Church and state being what they are.

Most people don't want to be burdened with figuring out the right thing to say to that.

[motiontostrike]

It's a good question. I don't think so, no. My beliefs are my own, and the law is the law. Maybe the same reason I'm drawn to one explains the other. There's a kind of ritual to both practices. It's almost a ceremony, really. In church or in the courtroom, you're interpreting text -- parable or precedent -- to make your case.

I get you. Sometimes people just walk off, in the middle of a conversation. They just leave me babbling to the wall.

[horticulturalist]

I can see that. Neither one's a science. More qualitative than quantifiable.

Me too. Huh. I'm only now realizing the possibility that some people might think I'm blind...

[motiontostrike]

Guess I've always liked to fight. Some people do it with their fists, and some people take a swing with their words.

If you're telling them you have no face, who knows what they might assume.

[horticulturalist]

And some aren't much for fighting at all.

It's probably got more to do with the glasses...

[motiontostrike]

Some aren't. I don't know if I believe that from the guy who thinks faith in God means rolling over and playing ignorant. You fight with something; maybe it's just yourself.

Ah, the blind man's trademark. That could be.

[horticulturalist]

I dunno, that sounds a lot like the opposite of fighting.

Yeah, I guess I'm wearing the team colors.