The Libertarian – October 2020

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Team Leader Introduction

By Infinicorn

We are all afraid. It’s a constant in everyone’s lives, and it’s true here at USDF too. We are afraid of denial, of rejection, of failure, of mistakes, of not being good enough. A lot of our fears should be silly, based on things that would never actually happen. 

For most people, the likelihood of being overtaken by a swarm of spiders, trapped upside down on a rollercoaster, or harmed by a clown is next to none. And yet we still experience those fears, because somewhere in our minds, we acknowledge the very small possibility that those things could happen to us, and it would be terrible if it did. 

In this edition of the Libertarian, we will be exploring that possibility, not just in real life context, not just because of Halloween this month, not just because of USDF, but because in the end, it is possible to be united by fear. And that deserves to be explored.

So get ready to be uncomfortable. Get ready to shiver. Get ready to be utterly, truly afraid. And get ready to acknowledge that fear and learn to move forward with it, because being terrified is only half the journey. And even though there might be someone behind you right now… well, they’ve got your back.

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Trials and Triumphs

By K1e24

We all have our fears, our trial by fires, our bad days, and we all can overcome them! To put a positive spin on fear, I decided to go interview a few of my peers and fellow members of USDF to find out their Habbo fear and what they did to get around or over it, or how they’re taking their fears and harnessing them for the better! Here are just a few of the responses I received.

CWO5 Depthtaion responded with:
“ The thought of failure never exits my mind, especially in USDF. I always think, did I do enough? Will I fail? Will I be able to get the position I’ve always dreamed of? These are just a few of the thoughts that go on in my head while I’m in USDF. I believe that failure is just the mother of success, because if you don’t fail, what’s the point of your success anyway? I always think that there will be better days for me, days where I can shine, days where I can prove to myself that I can get somewhere. I don’t really get myself demotivated but instead, it motivates me to try even harder next time. We’ll all have our time to shine, it just takes patience and determination.”

1stLt William.qwewy gave the reply:
“We’ve faced failures countless times in our lives. For me, it is almost every day. I am a student, who needs to study and excel in my exams. I am a son to my parents, who needs to make them proud. I am everything that my other commitment needs me to be. In all these, I have to work hard to make sure I will always be successful and not otherwise. That otherwise is, of course, failure. Even in Habbo, there were times where I was afraid of failure. Even now, I am battling it. I need to make sure that I will not fail in being the best Officer, the best Commissioned Officer, and the best Administrative Aide I can be. The feeling of fear of failure is there, but I never let it consume me and be a hindrance to myself. Among the ways I use to overcome this is by making sure everything runs smoothly. I have been a planner since I was appointed as the AA and it helps me to keep track of my duties. Apart from that, I always seek motivation from my friends in USDF whenever I need it. It keeps me going because you know that your friends have always got your back and will support you all the way. USDF is a place where we grow ourselves, to polish and unleash the potentials that we never expected we’d have. Don’t ever be afraid to try and fail. We learn from our failures and we improve to make sure that we will never face it twice. Because if you let it consume you, you will never break free from your cocoon. Just like a butterfly, transform, and fly high!”

CMSAF JamieClar answered with:
“To be honest, I’ve always been afraid of failure especially when I try to get a position that I really want. I’ve experienced a lot of failures hence, I always think about having it all over again. This leads to me overthinking whether or not I should apply. However, with some encouragement from my friends, I still try to bring the best out of me and try out every opportunity possible. I won’t lose anything if I try, other than the opportunity itself.”

LTC Tjedshaul gave me the response:
“I’ve been afraid of failure a lot of times, especially when I’m taking USDF exams and applying for positions. Well, it’s really hard to accept those failures but I use it as a fuel to build up the confidence to try again and never give up.”

MCPON Papegaaiduiker said to me:
“As MCPON and HNCO NETC, these are positions of responsibility that are demanding but overall great experiences, especially if you apply yourself properly. I guess as someone who is constantly afraid of performing subpar, and with the added expectation these positions have, I definitely felt a lot of pressure.

How did I overcome it? Two ways… Firstly, asking for help if I was unsure; I’ve been lucky enough that my command team in both positions have been very supportive, and have helped me a lot. Secondly, putting things into perspective; asking questions like “am I overreacting to a situation?” or “do I need to be worried?”

By doing these two things, I’ve managed to mitigate feeling stressed or pressured. There are of course times when this doesn’t work, but in general, it helps.”

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Journey to the Bright Lights of Broadway

By dinsky

Ever since I was young, the stage has been calling me. It started the summer of 2012. I was eleven years old, and my mom took my sister and I on a trip to New York. She had loved musicals from a young age, and wanted to share that love with us. With both my sister and I being fans of Disney, she got us all tickets to see Newsies. The moment I heard the first notes being sung, I was entranced. I became swept up in the singing and dancing. Immediately I knew, this is what I wanted to do in life, this was my calling. As soon as we got back from our trip, I had my mom sign me up for singing and dancing lessons for the rest of summer. I worked tirelessly for two months straight. I was intent on making it to Broadway. Nothing was going to stand in my way. Or so I thought.

Once school started, I tried to audition for the fall musical. Saying I was nervous was an understatement. As I waited for my turn, my insides started to churn and my palms became sweaty. When I went up to audition, I froze. I had never performed for anyone besides my family, singing and dancing teachers, much less on a stage with thirty judgy teenagers, and two moody teachers staring up at me. My throat closed up. The bright lights pointed at me made caused spots to cross my vision. I couldn’t utter a single note. After about a minute of staring uselessly, I just ran off. I ran right into the bathroom and sat there for the rest of lunch trying to calm my rapid heartbeat. Once I calmed down, I realized that while I wanted more than anything to perform, I had never considered I might have stage fright.

I didn’t know what to do. I told my parents and teachers but while they were encouraging, none of their ideas seemed to help. I was totally fine performing in front of a crowd, as long as I knew who they were. The moment I realized even one stranger was watching me, I panicked and froze, the audition all over again. For years I continued practicing, but while my talent and skills improved, I couldn’t get rid of my stage fright. The summer before my senior year I thought: This was it. I spent seven years trying to perfect this talent, but I can’t do it. I can’t perform. One day in June after a singing lesson, my teacher had an idea.

“Why don’t you just upload a video of yourself singing on YouTube?” my teacher asked. “You’re scared of performing in front of strangers, but what if you just sing to no one in your room and record it. Post it online. Your stage fright might disappear once you see how much people love your talent.”

“That’s…not a bad idea actually.” I responded. I knew I could record myself singing in my room, as I had done so plenty of times before to send to my teachers. Surely I could upload it to YouTube instead!

The next morning, I woke up determined. After a quick warm up and shower, I set up my recording area and began. I decided to sing “Santa Fe” from Newsies, as that was the musical that sparked my love for theatre in the first place. After several takes, I was finally happy with my cover. All that was left was to upload it. As I stared at the upload button, I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it. What if I really wasn’t a good singer and everyone laughed at me? I knew how ruthless the internet was and I was terrified of subjecting myself to that scrutiny. But I also knew I wasn’t going to get over my stage fright without doing this. With a deep breath, I pressed upload. I sent it to all of my friends, family, and performing arts teachers, hoping they would share it with their friends and family and it would spread. And spread it did.

Within a week, my performance hit 500,000 views. As I walked into school, everyone came up to me with praise, saying things like “I didn’t know you could sing like that!” and “With a voice like that, you should definitely try out for the school musical.” And so I went over to the theatre department to sign up for the first time in seven years. As if it were fate, the fall musical was Newsies. I grinned as I signed my name on the audition sheet, feeling a confidence I had never felt before. The week after, I stepped onto the stage and once again performed “Santa Fe.” Though I was still scared, as soon as I started singing the notes, I felt my fear melt away. I finished the audition to rousing cheers and was cast as none other than Jack Kelly. That November, I applied to every performing arts school I could think of, ecstatic I could finally face my stage fright and beat it. I got accepted into NYU for a Bachelor’s in Performing Arts and never looked back. Now I’m entering my second year, finally living my dream.

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Fear and Phobias – What Actually Are They?

By disco99x

Fear. Everyone experiences it – unless you’re a psychopath. It comes in many different shapes, sizes and severities. From being scared of the monsters under your bed as a child, to fearing death as a fully grown adult, there are so many factors of life that induce terror in us beings. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, phobias typically fall within five general categories: fears related to animals, the natural environment, medical issues, specific situations such as driving, flying, and lastly, ‘other’… which covers things such as choking and drowning.

A 1998 survey of over 8,000 subjects was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry and found that the most common phobias are as follows…

• Acrophobia – fear of heights
• Aerophobia – fear of flying
• Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
• Astraphobia – fear of thunder and lightning
• Autophobia – fear of being alone
• Claustrophobia – fear of confined or crowded spaces
• Hemophobia – fear of blood
• Hydrophobia – fear of water
• Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes
• Zoophobia – fear of animals

Some of the more unusual phobias are as follows…

• Alektorophobia – fear of chickens
• Onomatophobia – fear of names
• Pogonophobia – fear of beards
• Cryophobia – fear of ice or cold
• Octophobia – fear of the figure 8
• Phobophobia – fear of phobias
• Optophobia – fear of opening one’s eyes
• Arachibutyrophobia – fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth
• Geniophobia – fear of chins
• Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia – fear of long words (ironic, right?)

A phobia is an irrational fear of something that’s unlikely to cause harm. The word itself comes from the Greek word phobos, which means fear or horror. Phobias are formed, most commonly, following negative experiences but can also be a result of genetics and environmental factors, or due to an individual’s brain function.

Fear is formed when your body undergoes an instinctive response that’s caused by the brain reacting to a stimulus or situation that is perceived as unsafe or dangerous. It’s when the brain sends signals through the nervous system initiating the ‘fight or flight’ response causing physical responses such as an increased heart rate and blood pressure, rapid breathing and sweating. When experiencing fear, one can have all, some or none of these reactions. This also triggers the release of stress hormones and the sympathetic nervous system. Fear is a very personal and subjective experience. Evolution favours those who fear as it allows us to survive and navigate the scary and challenging parts of life being responsive to what is happening around us and what could potentially happen. It has stopped people from being too daring or taking life threatening risks.

Fear is that feeling when you stand too close to the edge of a building or cliff and look down. It’s when you swim underwater holding your breath and start to run out of oxygen. It’s that moment your foot falls through the fall when you think there is another step, and it’s that moment when you’re walking in the dark and hear unexplained noises with no one around you. Fear is an important emotion that protects us, making us alert to danger and preparing us to deal with it.

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Halloween Bat Biscuits Recipe

By coolchick1313

With Halloween fast approaching, it is great to have some sweet treats and a few tricks to go along with it, but with these Halloween Bat biscuits you won’t miss a trick. They are deliciously scrumptious… and here is how to make them.

Main recipe 100g Butter (unsalted) 100g Caster Sugar 1 Egg 275g of Plain Flour 1 tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

To Decorate 400g Icing Sugar 3-4 Tablespoons of Water 2-3 drops of Food Colouring

Conversions 100g – 3 ½ oz 275g – 10 oz 400g – 14 oz 190C – 375F, Gas mark 5 1cm  – ½ inch

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, and put greaseproof paper on a baking tray.
2. Mix and beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until it is fully combined.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl, little by little, until combined into the mixture.
4. Stir the flour into the mixture until it makes a “dough” consistency.
5. Roll the dough out on a surface until 1cm thick, flour the surface beforehand to prevent sticking.
6. Use a Halloween cutter (a bat as our example) to cut out shapes from the dough, and place onto a tray ready for cooking.
7. Cook the newly formed biscuits for 8-10 minutes, with a 5 minute rest period when they come out of the oven.
8. Cool down on a rack.
9. For icing, – Use a sieve to take out the lumps and pass icing sugar through, then mix with water until a smooth consistency is achieved.
10. Add food colouring to the mixture of whichever colour you wish.
11. Spread the icing on your biscuits, leave to rest and ENJOY!

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Rejection

By coolchick1313

What is Rejection?
Rejection is the act of being dismissed or turned down from something. In other words, you may have gone for a position within USDF and not been successful. Rejection from a position can lead to feelings such as sadness and anger, this can make rejection scary and debilitating.

The Fear of Rejection and How to Face It:
The very fear of rejection is not inherently ingrained within our personalities, but is a way of life for a lot of us at USDF. The competitive market for positions emphasizes that others may be better suited for a position than you are. However, your time will come, but you may not wish to apply for positions anymore due to the fear of not achieving them at all. This ultimately means opportunities could be missed by the time you feel confident enough to try. How you can face rejection is facing by your fears! You can do this by speaking up about your concerns, which does seem scary to start with, but the more you do it, you’ll self advocate for yourself. This means you’ll understand your needs, what you want, what you are looking for and what they might expect from someone when applying or a particular position.

It’s also important to realise that you may not have the skills that someone else might. This has nothing to do with your inability to perform in a position, however, they may want someone to fill a specific skill set that might be lacking within their team. It’s not just about what you can offer a position, but also what a position can do for you in terms of growth and development. It’s also crucial that you are able to fit within the existing Command Structure in terms of personality, complimentary skills, and so much more.

How Can Rejection Hold You Back?
Rejection can lead to people avoiding new opportunities or taking chances. Or on the opposite end, you may take too many, which can cause a decrease in quality of Expression of Interests due to generic EOIs submitted for multiple positions. Some people even gain position after position then suddenly no luck at all, bouncing around positions to the point of not being considered ‘reliable’ as consistency and commitment are questioned. Or some are considered ‘over qualified’ for a position and lower ranking positions favor newer personnel, as they too are given the chance to grow.

The constant rejection after trying over and over again will hit you 100 times as hard, and you start to reach the limit of your resilience to the point you can no longer handle rejection. However, you will never appreciate or reap rewards without any setbacks.

Why Rejection Shouldn’t Hold You Back!
Rejection should not hold you back because it’s important to understand that there are so many reasons to rejections, some you can work on, some you can’t. Rejection does not mean you aren’t good enough, think of it as not prepared for a position quite yet. Take these opportunities to learn more, grow, gain more experience and try new things. Rejection will subject you to negative feelings, such as feeling down, worthless or under skilled, but don’t let it consume you. Don’t let rejection hold you back, build up your resilience and dedication from how you handle rejection, change your mentality, the very way you handle rejection can lead to greater opportunities for your future. You should be honest, and understand those feelings you may be feeling and use that energy to progress further.

Interview:
Do not take my word for it, take it from one our esteemed former CWO’s and current MSgt, 54ghost28!

Have you ever felt rejected in USDF, and what did it feel like to you?
Yes, I have felt rejected in USDF numerous times. It made me feel not good enough, not only for USDF but for anyone, it made me lose confidence at times, but now I feel that there is more opportunity and you get more of a chance.

Have you ever felt like you didn’t want to go for a position because of rejection, and how did you overcome this?
Unfortunately yes, not only because of rejection but because of lost confidence, but I overcame this with help from some members. They helped motivate me again.

Do you wish to express ways of how rejection can be overcome to give hope to those undergoing it?
Rejections can provide opportunities for self growth, it may not seem like it but it does. When one door closes another will always open, try and learn from the rejection, be willing to see the bigger picture. Let it be a ‘learning curve’, at least you’ve tried to experience it. If you do feel rejection please reach out. Reach out to those you trust most, tell them how you feel, there’s also a Reach Out Program, they will do their utmost best to help you through it, don’t give up, there’s always other opportunities, and always someone willing to lend a helping hand.

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OSP&C – Office Spotlight

By _StarLord_

Greetings Everyone,

Welcome to Office Spotlight. Today, you will be reading about one of our awesome and hardworking offices within USDF, the Office of Strategies, Plans and Capabilities (OSP&C). When we talk about OSP&C, the very first thing that comes into our mind are Regulations, Training and Procedures (RTPs), which forms the basic Legislature, and Stand of the United States Defence Force. OSP&C handles and makes sure RTPs are updated constantly and reviews legislation adapting it to fit current issues, situations or the direction of USDF at the time. They do checks, rectifying any mistakes when updating, but they also question why something is the way it is, and if there is a way to make it better. They are a key part in USDF, among all other offices due to the nature of their work and the important responsibilities and duties they have. They also maintain the Suggestion Board on the forums, which also plays a major role in the smooth running USDF and allowing everyone to have their voices heard, to improve and become better than we are.

While the Suggestion Board and RTPs rests at one side, they work tirelessly every time there is a Command Overhaul or changes in the structure of USDF; OSP&C is also responsible for running the Focus Program and Officer Shadow Program. The XO deals with the Focus Program primarily while the CO focuses on Officer Shadow Program. But as a whole they are a team of 4 who work together to achieve the best for USDF and its personnel.

An Interview with CO SP&C playfun!

1.) What do you think is special in OSP&C compared to other offices at USDF?

I think that having the power to change USDF from a position that is directly linked to legislation and its personnel is what makes the OSP&C special compared to other offices. Our job is to plan and strategize changes that will make the USDF grow and prosper. We have recently completed many projects such as the Regulation 2 overhaul that impacted the way RTPs are given. Personally, I love helping people and any organization that I am part of, which is why I like being a member of the OSP&C.

2.) What do you love doing at OSP&C? In regards to the overall work and not just OSP&C and Focus group?

I love completing the projects that are assigned to me by my command team, including OSD+. I believe that I am making a huge impact on the USDF and its personnel by completing them. They may be very extensive and difficult, but it’s not easy to change big things in the military.

3.) Can we expect any major changes in OSP&C or Focus Group? Or a overall Command Overhaul?

You can expect a major overhaul to how the Officer Shadow Program is being managed. The changes we are implementing will greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness for personnel in the program. We believe that we are developing future leaders, which is why this program is so important to us.

In conclusion, I would like to end by saying that; ALL Offices at USDF have their own purpose, and every office plays an important role in developing and bettering USDF. Hope to see you all in another article.

Until then stay safe!

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A Lonely Grain of Sand

By K1e24

I come to… Looking about all seems fine. I check my phone, no new messages. Odd. I take a look around the house, it’s 5 am and my mum and dad should be home asleep. But, nothing. Not a soul. Not a sound. I turn on the TV to find a 24/7 TV channel, no people, eerily quiet set. There’s nothing moving outside or in my house. Not the rustling of trees, not the sound of cars. I begin to question, what are the normal sounds of outside? I’ve never really thought about it, until now. An absence of sound.

I check my computer, surely this is some glitch with the TV and my mum and dad are out, but no. No one is on discord, no one on Habbo, nothing. It’s me, myself, and I. I open a radio broadcasting on all frequencies, nothing. I check the Emergency stations, nothing. I’m alone. All alone. Is there really no one here? Both worlds, empty.

I slap myself hard… my cheek stings now. Flushed red with welting handprints. With my cheek stinging, I ring phone numbers. No one answers, no one replies, my words gobbled up into oblivion.

A thought hits me, am I what’s left of the human race? Me. The quiet hit me. Hard. I’m alone with nuclear power plants going and nuclear devices left unattended. Within days things could go sideways.

Then, suddenly my radio crackles to life, I think it’s some automated message but it’s another human. A fellow person on this planet, we have food aplenty, but where are they?

We begin to chat, I felt relief, then it cuts out. The radio goes dead. Why did they leave, where are they, what happened? Did they die in an explosive event or just poof into thin air? am I next? Or were they a figment of my imagination? Am I already insane? 

Food and water are my priorities. Canned goods are the best as is bottled water. Seeing as it’s just me, I no longer need to pay for anything. At home, I begin a movie, starting this audio log during it. 

A short while later, I pick up what seems like patchy electricity at best. Is this the beginning of the end? I keep my radio with me at all times in the case. But it never crackles again. Maybe it was a figment of my mind. 

I will be sleeping now, this is Kiki singing off log 1.

… 

Log 730, this is Kiki. 

I wake up, the batteries are in a good spot today! It’s now 2 years since the blip. Still no explanation… Good as usual, I’m now based in what was Aberdeen. I’ve yet to try flying but who knows. The roads seem to still be usable so maybe the planes? Who know… I’ll have to find some manuals.

As I say this now, I know for sure that I am the last member of the human race. Having flown from broken airport to broken airport in hot air balloons, with a Geiger counter onboard, I find that very little of what was once inhabited is not in some state of disrepair. Most nuclear fuel stations have blown, mostly due to being unmanned, otherwise they could have probably lasted another hundred years. There’s a definite change in temperature, and more places are in hospitable. 

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Log 1460, it’s still Kiki. 

My last hope is gone. I’m surrounded by darkness. There’s something stalking me. Someone? No, something. I feel their eyes. Locked. Looking. Loaded. I feel them. Remember Jerry the football? Jerry disappeared last month, my only friend. Gone. Is something determined to keep me alone? This is the 3rd time my friends have gone travelling… is it the government? Is it the military? Is this a test? Is this VR?

Snoring is heard. Until I wake up where the following event happens. 

“Who are you?” 

In a different voice; “Jet.” 

“Oooh Jet” leaves rustle in the wind… then…

“Shush” 

The log abruptly ends, with no more taking place. 

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Release The Kraken

By princess81818

When one thinks of The Kraken they think of its depictions in Hollywood films as a creature who rules the ocean attacking ships or as the sigil of House Greyjoy in Game of Thrones (best show ever), however, there is more to its history and most importantly, why it’s feared. 

Let’s begin with the history of The Kraken. It’s believed that it’s an amalgamation of species of squid or octopus only much much larger. Large enough to be feared in the open seas and attack whole ships. Stories of this sea monster date back to twelfth century Norway, and are often mistaken for an island or series of islands to appear innocent. It then uses its tentacles to lure in prey to their doom.

When one imagines what a Kraken actually looks like, it varies based on which context as the visual of a giant squid/octopus doesn’t quite coincide with the visual in the 2010 movies, Clash of the Titans. 

Let’s now look at the portrayal of this impressive creature in popular culture. As mentioned above the Kraken made an appearance in a Hollywood film as a weapon of the Olympic God Hades. It’s appearance is different from what you would imagine, and was portrayed as more crab-like and much larger than history depicts. This is also where you hear the famous words “Release the Kraken”. 

Another film you’ll see this creature make an appearance is ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ where it does the bidding of Davy Jones by collecting souls of men who have passed the deadline of a debt they owe (Watch video of said clip at your own risk :o). 

Of course this article won’t be complete without at least mentioning the golden Kraken which is the sigil of House Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. Depicted as more squid-like and quite appropriate for said house who worships the sea. While it never makes an actual appearance in the show, it is noted to infest the waters close to Dorne and unsuccessfully called upon by a Kind of the Iron Islands for battle.

What may surprise most of you, is that this creature is not just a legend, while it remains one of the most elusive creatures in the world, historical accounts all point towards the creature existing. With the little discoverable information currently known to us about the deep sea, it’s definitely plausible that such a creature lurks in the dark. While the slight exaggerations may not be true, the premise of the ‘Kraken’ is real. Which makes it even more of an object of fear due to this mystery.

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The Heebie Jeebies!

By disco99x

BOO! Believe it or not, whilst we USDF members are LEGENDS, we still experience fear. I spoke to just a few of our personnel to find out what gives them the heebie jeebies. 

“What are you scared of, where did it come from, and what helps combat it?”

CW5 RoyalThaGoddess
‘‘Clowns. I honestly don’t even know. It may be from when I watched ‘IT’ as a little kid, but I don’t remember being scared by that movie, because I could tell it was fake. But I just have always been creeped out by clowns and if I see one, I try to pretend it isn’t there and go the other direction. I honestly don’t think there is a way to combat this fear, but I haven’t seen a clown in person since I was like 10 or 12 or somewhere in between there, so that’s a plus.’’

CWO4 J-Naut
‘‘My biggest fear in life is that I might not get into a good university and will struggle with getting the career I want to work in. This has definitely developed in my mind because of the extremely cut-throat and competitive education system in my own and other countries. The only way I’ve found to not succumb to this unnerving amount of stress, is to slowly but steadily become more and more focused about my studies. Along with this, I also try to distract myself when things are getting too tough or I’m frustrated because of some weird concept that I can’t understand, this I do by socializing and just having fun. USDF has helped me a lot with the latter.”

CWO3 Neon.Viper
‘‘That’s a difficult question to answer. I have lots of little things that maybe scare me a little more but not so much a fear. If I were to pinpoint a singular fear I would say lakes and the deep sea is pretty scary. I’m honestly not sure where this fear came from. I have always been fine kayaking on rivers and on the water in general. It’s just a bit of an odd one. Theory: I encountered the loch ness monster or a sea monster when I was a kid! Probably the best way for me to get over it is to get a boat and chuck myself in the middle of a lake. But seriously I would do something along those lines and just remind myself sort of, what’s the worst that could happen?’’

CDR WarmClimate
‘‘My biggest fear is the fear of dying. I’m not sure what exactly sparked this fear, but it’s been with me for a long, long time. I work in the emergency medical services field and I come across death pretty regularly – whether it is being called to confirm that someone is biologically dead or being called to someone who just went into cardiac arrest and now requires CPR and advanced life support. None of this bothers me… but I do think about what’s happening to that person beyond what we can see. Is there more to death than we know? No one has ever come back and told me, so the fear of the unknown is scary. I’ve heard stories of people who’ve “died” and “come back” and what their experiences were, but they’re all so different, which makes it challenging to know what to believe. There really is no way for me to combat this fear. People tell me it’s normal to feel like this at a young age. I do wonder what it feels like to not have the will to live anymore after suffering through the pain and agony of a debilitating illness like cancer. People seem to just be ready to go at that point. What goes on in their mind? Do they know what’s coming next?’’

MSgt JwLk
‘‘My biggest fear is to live without being happy. It comes from my household divorce; both of my parents were unhappy for a while. Now I understand happiness is everything. The way I combat this is by living on the edge and taking risks, I am in a very healthy relationship now as well. My goal is to do what they did right, and not repeat their wrongs. So, learning from my parents’ mistakes is something I am always looking forward to completing.’’

1stLt KeiKano
‘‘Any nature related fear (thunder, darkness, heights). I once discovered I am afraid of heights just by realizing I can’t step next to the balcony of a tall building; it will trigger my panic attack and I will start ‘spiralling’ thinking I’m going to fall. For thunder and darkness, I shake a lot even when I’m hiding under my blanket and stuff, it just got worse as I grew older. I’m still trying to conquer it, but nothing is working, lol.’’

Maj idolayainerz
‘‘My biggest fear would be fear of oblivion, or like fear of being forgotten. I actually didn’t know this term until I watched movies that tackled this (I think one is from Harry Potter), I felt that it resonated with what I am afraid of. I don’t have any extreme bad experience whatsoever with regards to the fear of oblivion. If you think about it, I think it’s scary if you’re going to die without anyone knowing or remembering you. It feels like you’re insignificant and you haven’t served your purpose or at least attained your goal when you were alive. I need to remind myself that I’m loved, worthy, and not alone. I don’t need to do an extravagant or a life-changing thing just to please other people or make them remember me per se. What’s important is, that I get to enjoy the life that I’m currently living and create long-lasting memories with the people that I love and cherish.’’

LtCol LMaoZeDonny
‘‘My biggest fear is actually the fear of heights, I could look down from the second level of a shopping mall and still get scared. I am not too sure where this fear originated from unfortunately, however, when I was a kid I used to enjoy doing high elements activities, so I am not too sure when it happened too. When necessary, I am still able to face this fear, for example, I had to jump out of a plane 5 times from 1000 feet above the ground during my military service and although I was really scared, I was still able to make the jump. I only felt a real sense of fear the first time when jumping, the others felt natural and I didn’t really feel scared surprisingly. However, when I look down from the second level of the mall, I still get scared.’’

CW5 ik-knowhoiam
‘‘My biggest fear is that I lose some really important and lovely friends of mine. I don’t want to lose them. It came from an experience when I lost one of my favourite friends and we didn’t speak for two months and I was constantly annoyed and never stopped wondering if we were going to talk again which made me tired too. I try to be kind and always nice to my friends and that’s what I always do, friends are something important in life so try not to lose them.’’

SGM lycheepudding
‘‘My biggest fear is death. It didn’t particularly come from anywhere, it’s just the thought of leaving the world and not knowing what’s after, especially life being short, the constant fear of not doing enough before leaving into the unknown, and I love life, so having an “expiration date” makes it scary. I honestly think there’s no way to combat this fear, except to treasure time and do what makes you happy, because you never know when your turn will be.’’

CW5 Merilon
‘‘My biggest fear is when I have black-outs (these happen suddenly) and that I’m then on my own. My whole body shuts down and that can be dangerous at specific moments, so I’d rather not be alone then. As a kid, very young, I was playing in an inside playground. My parents weren’t around, and I went to one of those slides which are round. What happened was, I went first but got stuck and she was coming so I panicked and started to get up and run which made me fall on my head and that is where it started. My parents never thought it was bad or anything dangerous, so it got only worse.’’

Do you relate to any of the fears/phobias mentioned in this article? Everyone is scared of something so don’t be ashamed of it!

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Midnight Memories

By _StarLord_

After a moment of fear has passed, we often wonder, why was I so afraid? In the moment we can struggle to face our fears. However, once we find the courage to face them head on, we realise that they aren’t always really as bad as we make them out to be.

Horror movies are one of many things that can create the stimulation of fear. They can affect children, teenagers and adults alike; but why? Many of these movies ideas are based on real events or part there of, which causes our hearts to drop to the floor and our brains to imagine the possibility of it happening to us or those we hold dear. The plot, sound effects, environment, lighting and music are some of the many things that allow tension to build, and fear to spread within us like a disease. By nature, humans will be scared of loud unexpected sounds as these catch us off guard and music has the ability to make us feel certain ways.

Fear is a natural emotion, so it’s okay to be afraid, especially during a good scary movie. Learn to embrace this fear as it only helps you to grow.

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Halloween

By princess81818

Halloween is a holiday celebrated worldwide each year on the 31st October, and yet it has not always been known by this name nor celebrated how it is now. 

It originated with the Celts, some 2,000 years ago and was known as the festival of Samhain. People would celebrate their new year by lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off ghosts as it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. 

Did you know? 1/4 of all the sweets sold annually in the United States is purchased for Halloween. Soon after is a busy time for dentists. 😀

This changed during the eighteenth century when November 1st was designated All Saints day, as a way to honour the saints with bonfires, parades and dressing up as saints, angels and devils (seeing a pattern here). The evening before began to be known as All Hallows Eve. 

To begin with Halloween was limited to colonial New England but as beliefs and customs of different groups meshed, a version of our Halloween began to emerge. It wasn’t until the second half of the 19th century that with the help of immigrants flooding the celebration of Halloween was popularised nationally. 

Did you know? Young women believed that by doing tricks with yarn, apples or mirrors, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband. 

Henry Cavill please 😀

During this time Americans began to dress up in costumes (borrowing from European traditions) and go house to house asking for food or money. It was during this time that anything ‘frightening’ or ‘grotesque’ was encouraged to be taken out of Halloween celebrations and so it lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones as we moved into the 20th century. 

Did you know? More people are buying costumes for their pets. What would you dress your pet up as?

 I’d dress mine up like Dragon.

Question you may be asking is where do witches, vampires, zombies and the like fit into Halloween? 

With vampires there is no special connection and one may think that due to the popularisation of vampires in movies is where this connection comes from. Fear of the unknown and what lurks in the night. Witches have a deeper connection and legends tell of witches gathering twice a year when the seasons change and All Hallow’s Eve was one of those days. Witches would arrive on broomsticks to celebrate and would cast spells on unsuspecting individuals, transforming them into different forms and causing other magical mischief (sounding familiar?) 

It was these beliefs and superstitions that settlers brought over with them to America. 

Did you know? Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween. Second to Christmas as the largest commercial holiday.

While Halloween in the 21st century is quite different from the festival of Samhain and All Hallows eve (which was eventually shortened to Halloween) there are still some overtones which have tested time and continue to be used and celebrated even now. Nowadays children still dress up and trick or treat, people gather and celebrate and parties are hosted worldwide, usually with people dressing up. 

Did you know? The carved Halloween pumpkin celebrates the memory of lost souls.

Now with Covid-19 there are questions on what Halloween will look like this year. Will children still go trick or treating, perhaps not with restrictions and uneasy parents. We’ve already seen with Christmas many events cancelled and people wondering if they will be able to celebrate with their loved ones. 

Halloween is just over a month away, and many countries are either in lockdown, partial lockdown or looking like they will be soon as we possibly move into the second wave of Covid-19. Many feel it’s not sensible to celebrate during a pandemic and so the likelihood of parties, trick or treating and the other activities which we associate with Halloween being skipped, is high. 

The concept of Halloween has been around for thousands of years and will continue to be so. It’s interesting to think what Halloween will look like in 50 years, 100 years or 2,000 years. What will we associate with Halloween then, how will it be celebrated and will the symbols we associate with the Holiday, like pumpkins, witches and such, be the same or will these change? 

However Halloween changes or doesn’t change, I believe it will continue to be a celebration and a way to bring people together and explore the supernatural side of life. 

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Credits

EDITORS	Aneha :MariaMint: midgetbella
WRITERS	:MariaMint: coolchick1313 dinksy disco99x Infinicorn K1e21 princess81818
DESIGNERS	midgetbella (Cover) Aneha (Layout)
ARTISTS	_StarLord_ :alyss buckyyyyyy chiari.cord disco99x irving524 LucyLuc midgetbella