What Has The World Come To?... Charlie, Charlie

If you have access to the internet, I'm sure you have heard of this "game" called Charlie, Charlie. Now, when I first heard about this, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I mean, when I was in primary and middle school we had tons of weird little paper games to pass our extra time and socialize (even when we weren't supposed to), but this is on another level for me.

In short, Charlie, Charlie is a game where you draw two lines on a piece of paper, dividing it into quarters. You write yes and no two times, one in each box so that the yes' and no's are diagonal from each other. You then, place a pencil along the horizontal line and balance another on top of it, crossing the two pencils in alignment with the lines you've drawn. Simple and harmless right? Not so much, because this is when you chant Charlie, Charlie and begin asking "Charlie" questions. In some cases the balancing pencil moves pointing to the yes or no, in response to the question.

I don't think it's necessary to say, but this is a clear form of summoning demons and or evil spirits. Think about it. Satanic worshippers, witch doctors, and other members of the "dark art" community, set up a ritual for summoning spirits. I won't pretend to be an expert on the subject being that I steer clear of all things occult and creepy but summoning demons is bad, mmmm k. (South park reference)

Just like "put 'em in the coffin", I couldn't help but wonder where Charlie Charlie came from. So I did some research. I'll be honest with you, there are so many stories about where it came from and who Charlie really was, there's no telling where it really took form, at least for me. That trail running cold, I veered my focus to the game itself, and that sprouted some fruit. It led me to a hispanic ritual called Juego de la Lapicera which translates as "play pen". What's scary are the search results i found when looking up the phrase. Simply put, it is a ritual where one asks a supernatural source for answers about their past, present, future, or the dead. It is traditionally done with candles and three or more people, much like a seance. There are even warnings against doing it alone, in your home or anywhere you wouldn't want evil spirits to haunt, near a cemetery or funeral home and they say it is imperative to burn both pencils and the paper afterwards, followed by prayers and another ritual for protection. Oh yeah,,, and they also warn about using it in an insulting or joking manner. In other words, it is NOT a game.

I don't know who thought that turning this ritual into a game was a good idea but it really makes me afraid for all the young, impressionable minds out there, They are growing up in a world that puts danger at their finger tips and dares them to play with it.

Now I know there are some who don't believe in the supernatural. I myself do not believe that dead people can be summoned by or haunt the living, but that doesn't mean other things can't. And there are people who have had very real experiences with supernatural things and beings that can't be explained, Just remember that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. Humans can not prove that there are no supernatural beings in existence and even if you chose not believe, in reason it is better to be safe than sorry. If evil spirits do indeed exist, we wouldn't want to taunt them by trying to summon or attract them to us with a game, would we?

That brings me to another point. People both old and young have gained this "hive-minded" spirit, where it seems one cannot think for themselves. If you saw someone playing Charlie Charlie, knowing it only for what it was or what it was meant to be, you wouldn't have the sudden urge to participate. But because it is being done all around you and you see your favorite media personality doing or talking about it, you are desensitized to it's true nature. Think of this example. When training a war horse, soldiers would bang pots and pans, fire off shots, run and make sudden movements around horses to get them use to what would usually spook them. This was important because horses, like most hooved animals, are very cautious in nature. Their first instinct is to flee when they feel unsafe. Obviously, this instinct has to be subdued for them to be a stable source of transportation on the battlefield. Thus when a war horse is fully trained, the fire of a gunshot doesn't startle them. Does that mean that the gun is nothing to fear or no longer dangerous? No, just means the horse is desensitized to it. True a horse is just an animal but the same principal applies to you and me. Which in theory means that just because something is familiar or normal to us doesn't mean it is safe or right.

As I look at society, I see an increasing need for individuals to access what their doing for themselves, instead of letting others and the media do it for them. It only leads to a blind leading the blind type scenario. It's so important to think about the bigger picture, despite the impulse to scream "YOLO" and pull a Nike and just do it (dear god, please never let me have to say that again lol). True, we only live once but spontaneity and fun do not necessarily require ignorance or recklessness. What we do with our time and our life matters. We and the decisions we make carve the history of those that will come after us. We are all pieces in a giant puzzle, we matter, and when we are out of place, it doesn't go unnoticed. No matter who or what we are, taking the time to be ourselves and make the right decisions is more important than we could ever fully see. And remember one important thing. Trends ALWAYS pass, but what we do lasts forever and can't be taken back. So be careful and be smart. Our time and lives are precious and should be cherished. So live in the moment, not for it.

Think about it...

Hey internet people, thank you so much for reading and I hope you read something here that helped you out or just some food for thought. My blog is full of fun material that;s not so serious, so feel free to glance over to your right and search through my madness lol... If you have google plus add me to your circles so that you can be updated whenever I put up a new post. Don't forget to follow and +1 the post also!!! If you DO NOT have google plus and you are just paaaaaassssssssing through, please add your email to the mailing list to your right so that you to can be notified by email of a new post. Being that I am a writer, I am of course currently writing books, songs and things of that nature, so if you want to donate to the cause, feel free by clicking the donation button to your right, underneath my name and picture. Every little bit helps.

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For a look at my first part of my written series, click this link: #girlstuff

Check out the first edition of "That's My Show!!!...", where I talk about my new obsession: Empire

Ever wonder "What Has The World Come To?..." check out: Put Em in the Coffin