Patience

[smokingboot]

'If I am a bit narked with you it is because I do not understand your suddenly very tenuous relationship with facts. If it's not inaccurate retellings of the Book of Enoch, it's the repetition of crappy memes with dreadful pseudo historical rubbish about masks! If it's not fake footage at Stanton Bernard, it's an alien face in the woods that any idiot could tell was fake... And then, having lied to me and got me angry, you have the nerve to come back to me later to say that you have 'cheekily' made up a quote from me, by which you mean to say you lied again, only this time not to me, just about me! And like a mug, I try to be helpful and actually give you a quote to stop you making shit up! And you wonder why, on seeing clouds that look like clouds and act like clouds, I am not impressed by your claims that they are UFOs! Really?'

Fair to say I completely lost it with him this time.

I have never been so irritated by my old friend. Then I felt terrible and reassured him that I care for him, but do I? Or is it just our mutual memory of friendship I'm holding on to? We agreed to leave it there for a while, but I feel a bit guilty. R just raises his eyebrows and tells me I'm being manipulated, but he's always quite harsh on the subject of old friend. We have all had our less than honest days, why am I so riled by this?

I guess it's just been building up. I can't help wondering if old friend isn't utterly broke and trying to work social media, become a presence, monetise it; crop circles then orbs, then the Angel Metatron and Prophet Ezekial becoming his spirit guides (Mettykins and Ezzypants, he calls them) and now clouds being UFOs.

I have grown up surrounded by alternative beliefs, they don't freak me out and I don't dismiss them out of hand. Crazy or not - and often not - the people I knew who espoused these beliefs were at least dedicated; if they wanted to talk to me about the Book of Enoch, chances were they had read it. If they were ghost hunters, they wandered round haunted houses, camcorders at the ready. They did the work, and though others might not call it research, none could deny the effort involved. Extended pareidolia is so easy.

Plus it is just possible that I am not the most patient person on the planet...

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

It does sound as if Old Friend is broke and trying to monetize. It's sad when people are forced into that kind of hustle—because, of course, they're forced to become defiant about the hustle. It's the only way to preserve self respect.

So, I guess the question really becomes: Is Old Friend so down on his luck that this is the only revenue stream open to him?

[smokingboot]

I guess he could be considerably down on his luck; he's renting a place and he doesn't have a job so he'll probably be on some benefit. I cannot imagine he is making much from these attempts.  This may not be a terrible thing cos less money hopefully equals fewer drugs.  He's lost at least two careers due to this habit, and nearly died of a drug overdose, so I think it's a thing.  I don't know if he is suffering some kind of delusional disorder, or what. Here's one of his videos if you want to lend your own powers of judgement... Perhaps I'm the mad one! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqr50bPyBR8&t=106s

[mallorys_camera]

I watched maybe one minute. 😊

Bad production values and a lurch in his voice (apart from the accent) makes me think he is down on his luck indeed. I mean, it does not cost all that much to buy a selfie stick, which would make tracking shots smoother. 😊

Hard to tell whether he believed the story he was telling. I think he wants to believe that he believes it.

Honestly? I don't know what one does when one has a friend of the heart in such dire circumstances. Speaking from personal experience 😊, I think people get heavily into drugs as a way to anesthetize themselves. It seldom works. But unfortunately, that is something he is going to have to figure out for himself.

[smokingboot]

It was pretty blessed of you to watch that minute! My patience was taxed within 20 seconds.

He is a bright sunny guy, the best concert pianist I ever met; really gifted. And he's had some very tough times, if Mettykins and Ezzypants help him get through all the rubbish, then that's fantastic. But when it comes to dependencies, as you say, he has to figure it out for himself.