The Dragon-Broche

[Abishai100]

I'm fascinated by humanity's curiosity about the metaphysical value of treasures and relics. Is that an archaeological thing or a consumerism thing?

What a contrasting reality! If it's archaeological (e.g., the Holy Grail), then treasure-collecting is rather intellectual, but if it's consumerism-centric or 'toy-related' (e.g., Barbie dolls), then treasure-collecting is rather child-like!

Maybe this duality explains the appeal of the Stephen King adapted cryptic film Christine.

I'm going to keep 'shopping' in perspective, so the finance-centric Trump Administration does not affect my perspective on academic capitalism.

Check out my short-story about an enigmatic broche (I prefer the Middle-English spelling to 'brooch').


====

A new girl named Tanya enrolled in Cedar Hills High School in Virginia in 1998. She was eager to make a good impression and mingle with the students and blend in and maybe even join the right groups and clubs to make her social life pleasant. Tanya had a strange past which she seemed to guard like a terrible secret. She always wore a gold-and-green broche with an insignia of a dragon on it, and some boys would ask her what it signified but she was never clear about it. Tanya developed a crush for the high school football team’s wide receiver, a rather popular blonde young man named Teddy.

Tanya fixed it in her mind to ask Teddy to her Sophomore Cotillion, even though she knew Teddy was one year older than her (and hence a junior, getting ready for his junior prom). Teddy accepted her request and Tanya was shocked but equally nervous. Her alcoholic mother Samantha insisted she was not emotionally confident enough to attend the Cotillion with such a handsome and popular ‘Cedar Hills boy,’ but Tanya insisted she was ready. She purchased a very beautiful sky-blue strapless dress with a flowery bottom. She also wore her distinctive dragon-broche.

Teddy picked her up with his dad and took her to the Cotillion where they kissed (in the promenade) for thirty minutes. Tanya felt like she was in a dream world and decided to confide in Teddy and tell him everything about her strange past. She told Teddy that her mother killed her abusive father (her mother’s newest husband) before they moved to Cedar Hills and the courts had ruled the death was a matter of pure self-defense on Samantha’s part. Tanya then told Teddy the secret of her dragon-broche: “This jewelry represents Satanism and therefore gives me confidence about cruelty.” Teddy felt so uneasy after hearing this but never disclosed Tanya’s secrets. Tanya ended up being the Cedar Hills librarian. Teddy always wondered if Tanya was actually some kind of witch.

====

 

[Iceweasel]

I think it's just that it's human nature to make symbols of things we believe, being physical creatures. Some people are more "spiritual" than others and we have been moving away from it and society evolves.

 

[Abishai100]

The Lucky Leprechaun


I like the idea of understanding the general 'process' of symbol generation, so here's a short-story I wrote surrounding the intrigue surrounding the gold-hoarding Leprechaun (an Irish mythology imp that lords over a sacred pot of gold which he hides at the end of rainbows and will not relinquish without some kind of 'delicious game'). The Leprechaun symbolizes a fascination with the mystification of treasure/wealth and is seen in modern-day TV as the Notre Dame college football team mascot and the avatar for the American breakfast cereal Lucky Charms (found in most supermarkets).

Would you want to steal from a Leprechaun, and if so, is it because you want to take his gold or his power?



====

Devon was an English-Indian born to a British father and an Indian mother in 1978. He moved to America with his mother in 1983 after his father passed away. He grew up in Philadelphia and New York loving the cartoons about colorful characters and pseudo-mystical avatars such as Voltron, G.I. Joe, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the Smurfs. He noticed that America broadcasted countless cartoons. It was the animated film, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute that caught his special attention, since it presented the story of the delightful miniature forest-dwelling humanoids called 'Smurfs' tracking and protecting a special item considered to be a 'magical flute.' Devon wanted to find other examples of strange creatures/humanoid protecting or tracking mystical objects or sacred/magical treasures.

Devon's mother used to give him Lucky Charms cereal every morning for breakfast in Philadelphia when he was a youngster. That's when he first encountered images of the 'Leprechaun' (the Irish mythological imp who hides magical pots of gold but will engage in games or contests for the gold --- but with no guarantees for safety). The Lucky Charms breakfast cereal box presented an image of an avatar named 'Lucky the Leprechaun.' Later, when Devon saw the Smurfs film, he became more and more fascinated by the real mythology of the colorful Irish Leprechaun. "I want to find that magical pot of gold that Leprechaun hides --- usually at the end of rainbows!" Devon knew the stories were just myths, but he felt there was something unusually mystical about them.

Devon travelled to Ireland on his 21st birthday to hunt down the Leprechaun. He journeyed across the Irish countryside and hills and paid special attention to rainbows after rain-storms and would run towards them and scope the area around him, sincerely believing he just might come across something like a Leprechaun. He had no luck all summer and felt depressed, so he went to an Irish pub to drown his sorrows in beer and ale. A strange red-haired short-fellow walked up to his stool at the bar and asked him why he looked so gloomy, and Devon explained he got it inside his head the fantastic mythology-crusading instinct to go hunting for the fabled Leprechaun and his special 'pot of gold.' The short man gave a giggle and explained that to procure some pieces of gold from the Leprechaun, Devon had to offer up something fantastic in return.

Devon decided to carry with him a Christian cross which he purchased at a religion-antique store in Dublin. He decided if he found the Leprechaun, he would offer to trade the cross (which he held dear, given his Christian beliefs) for some pieces of gold from the Leprechaun's magical pot. So Devon set out again that autumn scouring the Irish countryside in search of that elusive Irish imp. As usual, he saw nothing, but this time he had much more hope and motivation (since he had taken the advice of that mysterious red-headed fellow at the pub and now carried something to offer that Leprechaun in exchange for gold). As Devon wandered around, humming to himself quietly with a newfound sense of spiritual optimism and mystical happiness, he realized he saw something off in the distance.

Devon saw what looked like a wispy green-colored short-statured figure standing in the fog and carrying something in his arms. "My God! I think it's a Leprechaun!!" Devon ran towards him yelling, "Please! Don't run away! I have something to offer you in exchange for some of your precious gold!" The figure stood still, and when Devon approached him, he realized to his amazement that it was at least a human midget dressed in a very realistic-looking Leprechaun costume. It was the short-statured red-headed fellow Devon met at the pub! The fellow explained that he was indeed a real Leprechaun but was looking for someone who had real faith before he decided to give him some magical gold without hesitation. Devon gave him the Christian cross he brought with him, and the 'Leprechaun' seemed satisfied and gave Devon four tokens of bright gold from what he was holding in his arms --- a large pot of gold tokens!

Devon hurried back to town (Dublin) and took the four tokens to a valuator and was told the tokens were authentic gold pieces of great value. Devon was thrilled and took the gold tokens back with him to America and showed them to his mother who was skeptical and suggested, "I think that red-headed fellow was a wealthy midget Irishman who wanted to humor your idealistic 'crusade' for honoring Irish mythology." Devon considered the logic of that possibility, but when he sat down at his mother's dining table and began having some Lucky Charms breakfast cereal the next morning, he stared at the avatar-picture of 'Lucky the Leprechaun' on the cereal box and realized that even if the short red-headed man he met in Ireland who exchanged some gold tokens for his Christian cross was not an actual Leprechaun, he would purchase a special Irish-culture broche with a Leprechaun-insignia on it, so he would always remember the simple 'magic' of belief. One year, later, while Devon was watching the American horror film Leprecaun, about a mischievous and evil Leprechaun named Lubdan who literally punished people for chasing his sacred gold, he swore he thought Lubdan spoke to him (spiritually) through the film when Lubdan said, "You wanted me gold!" To honor the insane memory, which his mother refused to believe, Devon wore a special white porcelain mask every Halloween (along with his Leprechaun-broche). Devon felt...lucky.

====

 

[Abishai100]

Sliding Doors: The Broche-Double


====

RIDGE:

"I woke up today and went to the car show in Philly. I saw some interesting people and took some nice memento-photos with my smartphone-camera. No one noticed me, the American celebrity, since I was wearing a moustache, wig, and sunglasses. I have an appointment with Dr. Kildare at the Smithsonian Institution on Monday. It will be good to go out and dance at a night-club (high-end celebrity-posh) and drink champagne with my new girlfriend Stacee. It's been six years now (to this day) that I've been tracking that precious broche of King Ali (a mysterious adventuring royal from Arabia who discovered the broche in an ancient site in Egypt). I believe this broche, called the Eye of Dragons, possesses the mystical power to make me very happy about wealth and treasure-hunting (at least!). I will store the broche in a special safe in my bank in Switzerland, and God willing, I will know that the strange hypnotic power of the broche will not distract me from my sacred love of asceticism."

KHAN:

"I made contact with my supervisor in Iran, and he's sanctioned me to steal the Eye of Dragons from the Smithsonian Institution on Monday. I don't suspect there will be much crowd there or media-frenzy, since no celebrities are scheduled to visit that day (to my knowledge). I will take tear-gas and force the curator to hand me the broche of King Ali, and I will dress as a an Arabic 'shaman' since Monday is Halloween! This is the perfect plan, and I intend to use the broche to prove the commitment of our new anti-federalism group in Iran (and Syria). In time, I am sure that historians will look upon this deed as confirmation that the West's unchecked collecting of 'old world treasures' such as the Eye of Dragons is not a fact and that there will always be a liberal voice promoting a more holistic 'deification' of nationalism 'gods/avatars' such as the pop culture 'demi-idol' Captain America (Marvel Comics). I hear that a certain American celebrity (Ridge) is to portray Captain America in a new film to be directed by Steven Spielberg!"

====


RIDGE and KHAN:

 

[Abishai100]

Toys



====

Ridge and Khan had something in common: they both liked collecting iconic 1980s Big Consumerism artifacts (merchandise, mascots, toys, board games, stereos and cassettes, etc.). Ridge had a great collection of compact audio cassettes, while Khan had a terrific collection of Star Wars (George Lucas) merchandise (especially models/figurines/dolls). When questioned why an anti-federalist radical endorse the 'toys/treasures' of the Western 'cinema-world,' Khan responded, "To stay in touch with the will of the people, one must be invested personally/psychologically in the mob folklore daydreams and storytellers such as George Lucas, Woody Allen, Donald Trump, and Bob Dylan!"

Ridge wanted to promote his cassettes and sell them on eBay as a modern archaeology collectible item signifying civilization's self-awareness of its own consumerism-symbolic craftsmanship behaviors (e.g., portable media 'toys' or gadgets). Khan meanwhile wanted to convey the market-value of his patriotic Star Wars dolls, so he started blogging about anti-Western terrorists (perhaps ISIS) believing that the normalization of the sacred (e.g., culture daydreams) is akin to heresy, and hence, the under-valuation of Star Wars dolls marketing reveals the laziness of American consumerism! Ridge and Khan were something like 'opposite poles' of the 'ideological globe.'

Ridge was approached by an eBay seller who wanted to know why someone who had such an attractive and nifty set of tapes would not spend more time shopping for more accessory-erudition items such as a gold/brass dragon broche. Ridge was taken aback and realized he had become obsessed with tapes too much to notice the splendor of other items in his cultural age --- items such as the working girl's dragon broche! Khan meanwhile already purchased a Star Wars woman's broche and posted something on the Internet (with its photo) about the valuation of exchange-ornamental items such as broches sold on QVC and eBay. Who would win this Babylon Toy War?

====

 

[Abishai100]

The Loser's Pool

This short-story was inspired by the environment-escapism film Fresh.

====

Terry was an African-American college dropout working at a pizza cornerstore-bistro in Harlem. He was addicted to cocaine and pain-killers and was in debt to the local druglord's 'henchman' Thom Wilkins. Terry always found a way to 'weasel-out' of tight spots involving debt and financial panic. Right now, he owed Thom about $2000 but only had $200 of it. He decided to go gambling to see if he could win some money.

Terry won $4000 playing in Atlantic City and was very excited. He was about to hop into his car when a strange gypsy woman walked up to him and explained she noticed his glee with winning big in the casino and wondered if he would be interested in purchasing a $100 'lucky-winner' themed leprechaun broche. Terry thought it was nifty and purchased it, and the gypsy told him to always keep it and that it was called the Dragon Broche.

Terry took the $2000 right to Thom (from the remainder of the $4000 winnings from Atlantic City). He explained to Thom he was quitting drugs altogether and would no longer need to fuel their business arrangements, and Thom told him he was relieved, since Terry was a deadbeat with deadlines. Terry zoomed back to Atlantic City (taking his 'lucky leprechaun/dragon broche') with him. He bet $1000 and once again he won big --- $3000! Terry was thrilled in kissed his 'dragon broche' and thanked the mysterious gypsy woman in his mind for the added 'luck.'

Terry became fascinated with his lucky leprechaun-dragon broche and decided to do some research into the ornaments made based on the Irish fortune-mischief mythology imp the Leprechaun. To his shock, Terry discovered that in Ireland (from times back) there was a myth of a man who always carried a leprechaun-jewelry which was given to him by a mysterious gypsy and which always brought him luck at gambling! Terry wondered if the folk legend had anything to do with the strange gypsy woman who gave him the 'leprechaun-dragon broche' in Atlantic City. "Does she know about this myth/folklore?" Terry wondered.

Terry returned to Atlantic City to see if his lucky leprechaun dragon broche could help him win more money, but this time he was somewhat apprehensive about using the jewelry-piece to speculate on fortune and gambling. He was already satisfied and relieved enough just knowing he was out of the hole-pocket of the dangerous Thom Wilkins. Nevertheless, Terry went and played blackjack and roulette, holding his leprechaun-broche in his hand. He won $1000 and walked quickly to his car, but the gypsy woman caught up to him and told him, "You got greedy with the real fortune the broche brought you. You should have walked away with the first winnings which helped you clear your debts! I know all this, because I'm the spirit-guardian of Atlantic City, and your soul is now forever attached to that broche. If ever you lose that broche or give it away, your life will become pure gluttony!"

====

Fresh (Film)