Elephant

A Story by Abishai100

An alien shape-shifts into a human and performs a sociological study of what comprises the 'American psyche' in the new age of diarism and terrorism!

This spiritually important story I had to write was inspired by the Columbine tragedy and was inspired by the film Elephant, so I hope you'll read it...and like it!

Signing off (stay cool),

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Venger, the ethereal warlock from planet Venus decided to spy on human civilization from Earth's moon. He was watching developments in America in the 21st Century regarding dangerous anti-globalization terrorism (e.g., 9/11) and domestic traffic horrors (e.g., Columbine high-school shooting). Venger wondered how the tremors in basic 21st Century traffic were contributing to feelings regarding the natural angst towards new age globalization networking. Such tremors would complicate the normal business affairs of, say, companies advertising liberally on the American social networking website Facebook! Venger decided to visit an Earth high-school in America, disguised as a handsome high-school exchange student named Buddy, and converse with a 'typical' American high-school female student about modern angst towards networking and traffic tremor psychiatry. How were American high-school students reacting to the Columbine high-school shootings or to 9/11? That was Venger's question-of-study.

{Venger}

Venger decided to visit a typical American high-school on the West Coast and enrolled as a junior-year (3rd-year) exchange-student from Canada named Buddy! He kept to himself mostly at the high-school, Norman High-School (NHS), and was considered an eccentric but handsome exchange-student. He decided to befriend a female high-school student at NHS named Clora Tandy who went by the nickname 'CT' to her friends and teachers! Venger/Buddy decided to befriend Clora/CT and ask her about her perspectives on modern problems such as anti-globalization terrorism (e.g., 9/11) and domestic traffic tremors (e.g., Columbine high-school shooting). Clora/CT always dressed very nerdy, wearing plaid skirts and bow-ties and wearing thick eyeglasses but was very attractive. That's why Venger/Buddy found her appealing and thought she'd be the perfect 'interviewee' for his Earth/civilization study at NHS (Norman High-School).

{Norman High-School}

The 21st Century American news of the traumatic Columbine high-school shooting shocked the entire nation, and it made just about everyone a tad anxious about new age networking couture and how such couture was undermined by basic everyday traffic tremors contributing to the pedestrian paranoia that modern 'Starbucks imagination' was just undermined by human horrors of social subversion! Columbine was like 'homegrown terrorism' that Venger/Buddy wanted to analyze and dissect, and he wanted to do so with the help of Clora/CT who was both attractive and intelligent. Venger ('Buddy') decided to show Clora ('CT') a painting of the Columbine high-school shooting and ask her what she made of it and how she absorbed such a modern-day American tragedy. Then, Venger could better evaluate the human civilization links between terrorism and dogma!

{Columbine High-School Shooting Painting}

Venger/Buddy decided to ask Clora/CT to an after-school meeting at the Norman High-School (NHS) library, between 3 and 5 pm on a Friday afternoon. He hoped CT would put aside her usual plans that Friday to agree to meet with her to discuss various matters regarding 9/11 and Columbine, matters pertinent to his psycho-sociological study of American couture and consciousness! CT fortunately agreed to meet with 'Buddy' (Venger) for this interview/study and be his psycho-sociological study assistant and population representative interviewee. Buddy noted that CT was quite pretty that day, wearing her typical nerdy plaid outfit with bow-tie and wearing her hair in ABCD pigtails. He was now ready to ask her the right questions so he could procure the answers he needed for his ABCD study. CT was right on time, and she and Buddy began their interview at 3:15 pm on a sunny Friday in October 2020.

{Clora Tandy --- 'CT'}

VENGER/BUDDY: You look exceedingly cute today, Clora.

CLORA/CT: Why, thank you, Buddy; and call me 'CT' please.
BUDDY: Alright; so we should begin the interview.

CT: First, I'd like to ask you how you like your new high-school, Buddy!
BUDDY: It's fine; I'm already curious about student demographic psychology.

CT: Are you planning to become a psychologist someday, Buddy?

BUDDY: No; I want to be an American journalist, and this study will help.

CT: Cool.

BUDDY: Firstly, thanks again for helping me by agreeing to be my interviewee.

CT: Oh, it's my pleasure, Buddy; I find you interesting and inquisitive, so I felt excited!
BUDDY: Cool.

CT: So what should we talk about today, Buddy?

BUDDY: I want to ask you about your reactions to 9/11 and Columbine.
CT: Well, both were traumas in American history.
BUDDY: Was it 'American' history or 'street' history?

CT: I guess it was 'street' paranoia in a way, since it was 'generically' turbulent!
BUDDY: Right; the destruction of a business-complex and high-school environment were 'symbolic.'

CT: Quite right; everyone was paranoid suddenly about 21st Century traffic problems...and unrest.

BUDDY: What kind of 'civil unrest' troubles you in this new era of 'complicated' terrorism?

CT: I think this 'brand' of terrorism speaks to an American angst towards general traffic monstrosity.
BUDDY: Do you empathize with the high-school shooters in the Columbine tragedy?

CT: It seemed like a failure in American psychiatry, right?
BUDDY: Surely to a great degree, but what is it about high-school that should make such terrorism avoidable?

CT: Well, Americans care about socialization and customs and expectations; you noted my 'style' of dress.

BUDDY: Right; you cutely dress up nerdy even though you're a relatively attractive young woman!

CT: I want to make a statement about freedom-of-expression in high-school.
BUDDY: Do you feel that high-school students are 'pressured' to feel and even look smart?

CT: It seems to me that the high-school 'cafeteria psychology' promotes all kinds of biases.

BUDDY: What do you mean by high-school cafeteria psychology?

CT: Well, kids flock together when they think alike, so styles of dress are symbolic.

BUDDY: Kids who dress similarly share views on style and hence couture!

CT: Exactly; this kind of freedom-of-choice in socialization defines American consciousness.
BUDDY: Maybe that's why anti-globalization terrorists attacked a network-symbolic site on 9/11.

CT: Yes, the World Trade Center symbolized American optimism towards globalized traffic!
BUDDY: Well, why do you yearn to dress nerdy even though you're an attractive high-school student?
CT: Well, like I explained, I want to express my interest in reaching out to other students who think similarly!
BUDDY: So you want to 'network' with other students who want to look and feel smart in high-school?

CT: Precisely, Buddy; this high-school imagination is all about presence of confidence.

BUDDY: Is that why the two psychotic students in Columbine lashed out against their school-mates?

CT: I think so; they were retaliating against a self-proclaimed 'American culture' claustrophobia.
BUDDY: What do you make of high-school students bringing handguns/weapons to school?
CT: It's a bigger problem in inner-city schools, but many rural white schools now deal with it too!

BUDDY: Well, what would you think of a student at our school bringing a water-gun to class?
CT: Water-gun, a toy?

BUDDY: Yes, just to show off and have fun with his classmates.

CT: I suppose he'd/she'd be trying to make a statement about in-class imagination or something.

BUDDY: Would such a toy (a water-gun) worry you about American imagination about 'violence culture'?

CT: I suppose there's a normative bias towards violence-intuition when we think of water-guns, Buddy.
BUDDY: Right, yet American toy-stores sell such items quite liberally and to young children.

CT: Yes, American capitalism/consumerism does contribute to a liberal sense of shopping and style.

BUDDY: Would you ever bring a water-gun to school to 'complement' your nerdy outfits?
CT: You said you thought I was attractive, so I might bring a water-gun to flirt with friends or something!

BUDDY: Yet, you wouldn't worry you were 'contributing' to an American aesthetic towards violence?
CT: I don't see a clear link between Columbine and water-guns, but I suppose there's something about 'symbols.'

BUDDY: So, does new age terrorism news make you feel anxious about academic 'symbols' for lifestyle?
CT: Sure; I guess that's why I dress nerdy --- to encourage my friends to think about freedom-of-expression.

BUDDY: Are you pleased I'm interviewing you about American imagination?
CT: I find it peculiarly interesting that you thought to ask me to be your interviewee, since I dress nerdy!

BUDDY: Do you think I was somehow 'biased' since you seemed 'symbolically' typical for my study?

CT: No, I was just thinking you were curious about the parapsychology of student style...and attitude.

BUDDY: Don't you think that's relevant to my study?

CT: Yes, I think it is, so I suppose this was an informative approach to your study, Buddy.
BUDDY: Yeah, and that's why I was so pleased you agreed to be my interviewee!
CT: I told you I found you interesting, and you mentioned you thought I was 'cute' and smart!
BUDDY: Surely true; well, then it does seem that we've addressed some topics regarding American intuition.
CT: I agree; maybe your study will help psychologists evaluate the 'fences' of Columbine.
BUDDY: That would make me very happy, my new friend.
CT: Cool; maybe I'll bring a water-gun to school someday...to flirt with you.

BUDDY: Let's keep things...diplomatic!

{Water-Gun}

Venger ('Buddy') found his interview with Clora Tandy ('CT') very informative and helpful to his anthropological and psycho-sociological study of 21st Century American traffic imagination! He decided he'd complete his report by Christmas and then inform the school that he was transferring back to Canada. He befriended CT and they became a cool couple for a short time before Venger continued his independent study. He never forgot the intuitive answers CT provided regarding the sensitivity and human frailty regarding normative American traffic perspectives and turbulence-imagination and how style and freedom-of-expression contributed to Americans' views on the streamlining of pedestrian activity as reflective of new age consumerism...and democracy! Venger was very happy and concluded that the high-school 'diorama' represented a human civilization insight into the 'nature' of depression.

{High-School Cafeteria}

Venger ('Buddy') often wore black stonewash-denim clothing to Norman High-School (NHS) and began comparing his style/couture to that of Clora Tandy's and realized they were simultaneously very different and oddly similar in personality! He was intrigued by Clora's sense of style presentation and democracy consciousness in the American landscape. Venger concluded that the American high-school experience was a good deal about the ins-and-outs of 'style' and 'couture' dialogue.

{Venger/Buddy}

Venger returned to Venus in January of 2021 and completed his report about American traffic imagination and human civilization about anti-socialization terrorism. He realized that 21st Century traffic tremors on Earth were much about the sensitivity to pedestrian engineering and wondered how much globalization-capitalism/consumerism resembled the designs of earlier cultural trends in American history (e.g., suburban expansion and Industrial Revolution)! Venger knew now that American dogma was like a proverbial 'red rose' of democracy. He never forgot his diorama-consultant Clora Tandy ('CT').

{Red Rose}