Yesterday got even more epic


I headed to town around five o'clock with Kyle, Emily, Josh, and Dan C. We were lured in by the chain restaurant Cici's viral marketing campaign, which distributed a million pennies all over the country within a two mile radius of each Cici's with small stickers attached which would entitle the bearer to a free item. The food is okay, but the prospect of scrambling all over town searching for these special pennies seemed like a lot of fun. Best of all, some women saw Josh and Dan looking for coins on the ground she was so moved with pity that she offered them ten dollars each to go into the store and buy her some soda.

Soda woman: Why does your jacket say 'Blood Mountain?'
Josh: Oh, that's a band I like.
Soda woman: Are they... evil? They sound like they are.
Josh: Well, it's a matter of interpretation-
Soda woman: NO! Evil is evil, and that's all there is to it. I had a friend who went to visit someone once, and he came back with 167 stitches. That's just evil!
Josh: ...

(after hearing this story)
Kyle: She sounds crazy, but at least both of you got money out of it. It makes the prospect of going into town and mingling more appealing.
Dan: (very solemnly) No. Let us never approach the townies again!

After collecting our penny coupons and free food, we drove back to campus and Kyle and I arranged to have a music swap later in the evening. Before then, I was called over to Rachel and Molly's place by people demanding to hear a certain anecdote about Thailand.

That conversation had a very interesting progression. There was some discussion of body image issues, and various means that were taken to cope with them. This evolved into talking about coping mechanisms to let out aggressive energy, and I was intrigued to hear that Rachel and Tony sometimes like to fight each other for fun. I've done variations of that sort of thing before, what with my hardcore shows and the informal wrestling club my freshman year, and even back in high school when my friend (who was also named Rachel) and I used to fight each other at the bus stop to reduce boredom. Something in me has always been drawn to those rare moments when you are not compelled to worry about normal social restraints (such as maintaining a safe physical distance from another person even when you are emotionally intimate with them) and also to that rush you get, from being so absorbed in what you do that you don't notice painful sensations. I'm always looking to find experiences that make me focus on what I'm doing rather than who I am, if that makes any sense. I'm not attracted to the idea of fighting someone who is angering me. I just love the idea of being completely free and trusting around someone who I love and being able to let out all of the angry energy that builds up out in a friendly way.

So I suggested to Rachel that we go outside and have a fist fight, and she excitedly acquiesced. Right then, I got this surge of adrenaline that made my limbs start trembling and even tingling, and for the next few minutes I was a chattering box of nerves, trying to usher people (YangYi, Rowan, and Lauren were also there) outside when conversation seemed likely to continue for a while. This was probably a very strange way for me to behave, but I couldn't help it, having felt so instantly ready.

Therefore I was slightly dismayed when it was proposed that Rachel and Tony go first but I ended up being really glad about that after watching them, because it was very different from what I had imagined in my head and I was able to adjust my approach accordingly. Watching the two of them go at it was also pretty mesmerizing, and elucidating. I'd heard about this side of Tony before, but I'd never witnessed or even been able to imagine it because he's such a goofy and soft-spoken guy most of the time. Therefore it was interesting to watch them go berserk together for a little while, and be a witness to this unique, unexpected, but totally-makes-sense-in-a-weird-way compatibility.

YangYi also got really into it, and during the middle of their fight he turned to me and asked if I'd like to go right now. I suggested that we wait until Rachel and Tony were done, but I was charmed to see how happy and enthusiastic he was. He's one of the most restrained and fearful people I know in some ways, which makes for an interesting contrast considering how adventurous he is in other respects. We'd talked about the prospect of abandoning physical restraint a while ago, and he liked the hardcore show I took him to last month, so I'm happy that he's becoming more in tune with physical, identity-destroying expression. After Rachel and Tony had finished, the two of us just walked out and I immediately launched myself at him, and managed to fling him to the ground while whaling on his abdomen. He seemed a little bit awkward for the first minute and a half, like he was responding and making an definite effort to evade me and swing back, but like his heart wasn't in it somehow. Just as I was considering the prospect of backing off, he suddenly allowed himself to just go crazy and the two of us began to tussle in earnest. He managed to fling me down a few times but I managed to not get pinned by lashing out with my legs until he backed off enough for me to get up. That was one thing I noticed that night, there was a distinct focus on punching. No one really seemed inclined to kick or use their legs that much, except for myself and Lauren, who demonstrated some great sweeping kick techniques while explaining wrestling moves to me and Rachel.

Rowan went up against Lauren after YangYi got too out of breath and we called it quits, which was fascinating to watch. Rowan always seemed like one of those people who is so gentle that violent physical exertion of any nature appeared impossible for him, even in a friendly context. This is the boy who confusedly asked what he did wrong after I gently nipped him last summer, after all. He summed up our different tastes once (in both music and self-expression), by saying, "I think we're a lot alike essentially, except that I lean more towards the dreamy and you lean more towards the frantic." Despite this, he was actually able to do well for himself while struggling with Lauren, although she ended up being dominant with her wrestling moves. I shouldn't underestimate people's abilities to branch out.

I tried to fight Rachel after that, but I wasn't able to muster up the same energy for a second round, which was kind of disappointing. It was partially that I was tired, but also that I'd gotten a lot of my wild energy out with YangYi already and didn't feel so much a need for another purge. We circled around each other for a little while, exchanging blows and panting heavily, but it seemed strained so I proposed that instead we fight each other first some other night. She agreed, saying "Everyone's first fight is their best one, generally."

I will add to this entry later, but I need to get to class.

Signing out now.