Dreams have always been a fascinating aspect of existence to me. When I was a kid, I imagined my future self designing a "dream catcher" machine when I got older that would allow you to record your dreams at night while you slept so you could wake up and play them back in a video format. I wish something like this actually existed because it's often hard to remember all the details of your dreams, and mine are often random and wild.

Ever since I was really young, I liked to write down the dreams that I remember having, or at least the details that I could recall, before they became lost to me in memory over time. Here are some entries from my current "dream book" that I wanted to share. I didn't write the date down on the first few but realized it's a good idea to include it in later entries.

* Undated: I'm playing a retro Kirby video game, but with an enhanced gaming experience. When I reach a certain area in the game, which was a shiny spot where Kirby was spinning underwater, I get a rewarding feeling in my head that's like a dopamine release.

It was like a video game of the future that rewards you with pleasure for finding the right path to travel or discovering a secret area. Did my mind just predict a future version of video games?

* Undated: I'm with a dark-natured young man who's training to be a demon. He advances a level right in front of me and gains a new ability, which if I remember correctly, was wings and flight. I'm impressed and congratulate him.

* Undated: I'm inside my neighbor's house back when I lived up north. (She was an older lady who's mind was starting to go with age, and she had paid me to mow her lawn a few times until one day she tried to blame me for putting a few round holes in her yard that had already been there.)

In the dream, a male relative of hers takes a liking to me and says "let's see how she rated you." We find a piece of paper on an end table in her bedroom that has three names on it, including mine. All three people were given a "1" rating and the word "prostitute" is written after my name. The relative looks sad, and I explain to my elderly neighbor that he's sad because she rated me so low as a person and called me a rude name, but she doesn't care because she still believes I ruined her lawn.

* Undated: I'm trying to convince a woman to buy my 2019 hatchback car I own so I could either get a nicer one or a brand new one of the same model. I tell her it's a nice vehicle, why the previous owner had traded it in, and I also mentioned that I'm nearly six feet tall and fit fine in the front seat and that the back seats are spacious as well.

* Undated: I'm with my family and making a planned trip to a strange place to speak with someone renowned for some unknown but important reason (possibly something for my mother). In order to get there, we have to take this giant, elegant elevator that you have to temporarily die on in order to reach the place we need to go.

Once the elevator goes up high enough, I feel a discomforting drop in my stomach that rises up, and this is the point when my spirit temporarily leaves my body in order to enter the destination. We arrive and step off the elevator into an almost mall-like area, and a friendly man who's tall with blonde hair sees us and walks up.

The man introduces himself as David, and I nervously but cheerfully say "Hi, David." He asks if he can help us. One of us says we're looking to meet Anne. David confirms Anne by her first and last name (I couldn't remember her last name from the dream except that it was a short, two-syllable name that began with the "cay" sound).  One of us confirms that's who we're trying to find.

We walk past a library area and into a doctor's office/hospital area, and a thin, older woman receptionist asks how she can help us. One of us says we're here to see Anne. She tells us we're too late because Anne isn't seeing anyone else for the day and she's currently with someone else. Just then, the door to her office opens and the person she was seeing leaves, so the receptionist says she'll see if Anne has time to meet with us. As she walks to the door though, it opens again and Anne walks out and goes straight into a door across from it and closes it. I only manage to get a quick glimpse of her and her white outfit reminded me of Lunchlady Doris from The Simpsons.

The receptionist smiles and says Anne is taking a bathroom break and asks us to take a seat and wait. After a while, we realize Anne must have somehow slipped out without us noticing. My mother tells me to stay behind while her and the rest of my family try to find Anne, but to no avail. I catch up with them and get upset they left me there alone since I'm temporarily in a state of death which could become permanent if I don't return to that big elevator in time. Meanwhile, we can't get anyone to help us find Anne. I ask a man in the area I know by name for help but he says he can't, and I'm saddened by this final gleam of hope fading.

Just then, another receptionist opens a door, holds it open, and motions for me to go inside. She had noticed our desperation and was allowing us to see Anne even though it was after hours. I bring my mother's attention to this and we all make our way toward the room. I realize I've never seen Anne's face before and try to picture it on the way in, but the dream ends before I get to actually see it.

* 10/10/21: I'm in a timeline where aliens live among us and have taken over. They appear human but you can tell which ones are aliens because they're trying too hard to look and act human. Their currency is a small, micro SD-sized rectangular token. I find one on the ground and slide it out of its transparent protection sleeve and go to activate it by touch. A puzzle is displayed that I must solve in order to earn the currency, and it's an A, B, C or D puzzle, but it's written in their language, which I don't understand. I guess "C" (which is pronounced oddly in their language) as the answer but it's wrong, so the currency disappears and I don't get to keep it. I'm suddenly hooked and want to find more alien currency in the giant, mall-like building I'm in.

Later, I sneak into an alien doctor's office past reception and get to the back area. When asked by someone why I'm there, I tell them I need to see the doctor. An alien woman in her 40's with glasses and a deep frown enters and has me sit down. To my surprise, she presses the palms of her hands over my nose and mouth and holds them there so I can't breathe until I can't hold my breath anymore. I become aware that this had been a test to see if I was human due to the "oxygen dependency" diagnosis being attributed to me.

* 2/15/22: I'm falling asleep in a classroom with my head down, fighting to keep my eyes open. The teacher, a tall black man, is lecturing the class about a man named David Wilk that he found to be heroic because he gave up a gift or ability he had to either sacrifice for the greater good or to not allow himself to be influenced by evil. Having not read the book that was written about the man, I believe it was his sight that he had given up, but I don't know any of the answers to the questions being asked since I didn't read it.

One student has a black and blue hardcover book on his desk titled "Wacky David Wilk" which is strange to me since the teacher is very serious about how heroic he found the man to be. The teacher asks everyone to get up and write their names on the whiteboard for an exercise about the book, and I try to think of a way to not write my name in order to avoid the embarrassment of not reading it or learning anything about Wilk.

* 2/21/22: I'm outside in a large complex that resembles a real-life video game. I enter a building with an auditorium where a church service is about to start. They're serving spaghetti and meatballs, which I eat, but to my horror I realize there are somehow three screws in my pasta. They're at the bottom of the bowl and I choose to eat around them, but then I realize I just ate meatballs when I'm a vegetarian.

Later, I'm in a car and trying to suck myself off with a vacuum cleaner for some reason, and because of this I become aware that I'm dreaming while in the dream. My boss from the restaurant I was working at at the time walks by and I start jerking off in the car as he walks by since I've aware I'm dreaming and there will be no consequences. He frowns and makes a non-plussed comment and continues walking down the street as I laugh at him.

* 3/11/22 (possibly 3/12): In the dream, it's 3:30 in the morning and someone is knocking on my front door. I see through the peephole there's several people standing outside. I open the door to what sounds like a sales pitch but I tell them it's 3:30am and they need to leave. They all get angry, one guy flips me off, and suddenly I'm worried about them getting into my house.

I hear glass break and see one of them bent over a flat cinder block as if they had just thrown it at one of my windows. I'm trying to open my front door to see what's going on while keeping the screen door shut so they can't get in, and I'm now afraid of this angry mob outside my house.

I call 911 and an officer (not a dispatcher, interestingly) answers but doesn't seem to believe me when I tell him fearfully that I need help with attackers on my property. I look outside and they're now preparing to build something large, possibly a weapon or battering device, that spans across my front yard into my neighbor's. I call 911 again and this time the officer says "those are your friends" in reference to the trespassers outside. I accuse the cop of being involved with them and not being a cop at all and he goes silent, so I hang up and try to call 911 again, but by now I'm so shaken that I can't even dial the numbers right, pressing 6 instead of 9.

* 12/6/22: Someone named Monte has hacked my YouTube channel and email, changed the name of my channel to Monte [something], and kicked me out of it while I was logged in at a house with a group of businessmen. One of them, a black guy who's name may have been Earl, is the leader of the businessmen, and he calls me afterward to discuss the possibility that one of his men were responsible for the hack after I raise the suspicion.

* 12/10/23: I'm walking outside near a park when I hear a guy in the distance let out a hardcore punk yell. I ask a girl nearby who that was and she says "oh that was Madison." I walk down a hill toward the source and see a punk with a long mohawk, then I realize that everyone there is young and alternative.

I call the place "mohawk paradise" and believe I'll fit in with my own mohawk hairstyle. A girl says something to me that I don't hear so I ask her to repeat it and she does, but then she angrily yells it a third time and storms off, even though I heard her the second time and didn't ask her to repeat it again. I think of her as a rude person for it and shrug it off. Another girl walks up to me and tells me I have one long hair sticking out of my left eyebrow and I'm surprised that she noticed it.

* 12/21/23: I'm showing off to two young guys who think I'm cool. My shirt is off and I'm boxing one of them bare-fisted. He's short so he keeps ducking and bobbing back to avoid every hard punch I keep throwing at him. Eventually I bring my fist straight down on his head in a surprise pound and it flattens him in a cartoonish way.

The other guy says "you're going hard today. I don't wanna get choked out!" in reference to having to challenge me next. His friend laughs at him and says "it isn't wrestling." I tell him I'll take him on in whatever sport he wants, but then I wake up.

* 1/6/24: I'm sitting at the table with three younger guys I used to work with at a restaurant. One of them gives me a hard time about making more money than any of them by filming videos and using it to buy new shoes and other things for myself instead of ever buying things for them. I laugh and remind them I have a mortgage to pay. One of them invites me to go to a bar/club called The Peanut with them later in the day and I agree to go.

In a second part to this dream, I'm in jail and everyone in the cell is being allowed out of the building in a group. I'm shirtless and debate on putting my shirt on since everyone else was wearing theirs, but I decide against it. A detention officer asks me if I have muscles and I say, "yeah, lean ones" and flex, and he stands near me and asks in awe if I'll flex on him. I say "thanks man" and someone else who overheard it says "aww" like they were touched that the guard complimented me since I'm an inmate.

Suddenly, an inmate who was further up notices a salad cart headed our way so he runs back and tells the rest of us and everyone grabs their empty salad boxes to have them filled. The boxes are small styrofoam ones with hinged lids that restaurants give you for leftovers.

* 5/14/24: I'm riding in a car with a few other guys who are friends or acquaintances of mine even though I've never seen or met them before outside of this dream. I wake up from sleeping in the car because apparently we were on a road trip back home from somewhere, and I ask how close we are to the house. One guy smiles and says we're almost there.

We get back to the house, which is actually their house that they're paying to live at together as friends, and I'm just staying there with them for free because I don't have any money for some reason. The point of the trip was to pick up some sort of substance to party with that isn't made known to me in the dream, but I want to party with them anyway even though I didn't have any money to contribute to the cost of it.

I try not to be obnoxious and outright ask them if I can participate, so instead I kind of float around the living room they're in and make small talk off to the side in the hopes one of them will offer for me to join. They don't end up sharing with me so I walk into a bedroom where two big dogs are and begin petting one, feeling a little sorry for myself.

* 5/18/24: I'm working at a restaurant but I'm not happy being there and have stopped caring about the job. A young couple gets seated at a table and I'm told by a host that I'm supposed to take care of them but I really don't feel like it. I end up taking my shirt off and greeting the guy and girl shirtless, and they laugh and just go along with it. They start off by ordering an alcoholic drink. I've never heard of the names of the drinks they order and I can't remember what they were.

My boss from the second restaurant I worked at is the boss of this restaurant in my dream, and he walks by down a side path near the tables and sees me walking away from the table without my shirt on. He kind of nods and lets me know that I'm done taking tables for the night, though he says it impassively without suggesting he's angry. In my mind I assume he's going to fire me for this and this makes me care even less about the job.

I end up ignoring the young couple and leaving them to sit and wait for their drinks. I end up feeling bad after a while and go check on them, and I see the girl had been brought her drink by someone else, and it's a bright orange drink in a sort of decorative glass with a wide bottom. I walk over to where the bartender puts the drinks up to see if the young guy's drink is there. It is, and the liquid in the glass is a wild mixture of bright colors. The drink had been sitting there for a while and it either looked like someone had taken a drink out of it, or I took a drink out of it at that moment and decided not to care about serving the couple anymore, this time for good.

In the second part of the dream, I'm outside and a young male fan of my YouTube channel is apparently going to be meeting me. I look at his account on YouTube and see he doesn't have a big following, but I watch a few of his Shorts and the editing and production on them is incredible. He had one video that had to do with some cool visual effect on the fingers of one hand. I look over and see him playing basketball by himself on a court, and someone tells me he's waiting on me and is only shooting the ball around to pass the time until he can meet me.

For some reason, I'm eating a tiny bird's egg and it ends up getting sticky yolk on my fingers as I try to eat/drink from the inside of it. The kid hears me and turns around, and he's happy to see. I wasn't quite ready to meet him, and I remark that the egg tastes terrible, so I throw the eggshell down and apologize about having it on my hand. In the dream I wasn't really looking forward to meeting someone but it just sort of happened and I had to go along with it.

Why do we dream the things we do? It's not like I think about alien people, elevators you temporarily die on, or finding screws in my pasta before I fall asleep -- or even on a regular basis, so why do these end up being the things I dream about? It only makes it all the more fascinating to have dreams and remember them for the awesomely strange inventions they are!

Hey, it's me again! I have an update to share about the sudden bad experience I had with THC edibles back in November of 2023 despite having no issues with marijuana before it. I now know what caused that unusual bout of depression it brought on.

I want to preface this blog by saying I'm not a drug user. I enjoy and am one with nature, and this includes natural plants and fungi that are used responsibly for therapeutic purposes. After many years of research and activism, marijuana has finally been recognized and, in some US states, legalized for its medicinal properties, and in some parts of the country, psilocybin (the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms) has even begun to become decriminalized for therapeutic use. I enjoy mushrooms on rare occasions and I take THC edibles in moderation and in small doses of 5mg per day. I do not use, support, or condone illegal/narcotic drugs, nor do I smoke or vape.

There are different chemical variants, known officially as isomers, of THC available today. Isomers are compounds that share an identical chemical formula but are arranged differently, and this new structure results in new pharmacological properties that can result in a different experience depending on the user. Delta-9, the psychoactive compound of cannabis, is the most common and well-known form of THC, and there's also a more mild variant known as delta-8. The latest and least-studied version is delta-10, and here's where my experimentation took a turn for the worst.

As a teenager I smoked weed, and I have no recollection of ever suffering depression from it. This was the regular, cannabis-derived delta-9 THC that everyone is familiar with. I quit smoking over 10 years ago in order to live a healthier life, which effectively ended my use of marijuana. Then marijuana began to see legalization in parts of the country and edible versions of it started becoming popular. I was curious to revisit marijuana after 10 years because of the research supporting its therapeutic properties and because eating it was a healthier alternative to smoking.

The important fact about this rise in edible marijuana products is that the legal versions of it are hemp-derived, not cannabis-derived. This means that in order to get around a legal loophole and sell them in states that don't allow medical marijuana and ship them anywhere online, they must be chemically synthesized from hemp instead of naturally derive from cannabis.

I had no negative experiences with the cannabis-derived delta-9 gummies I tried. However, shortly after using a hemp-derived delta-10 variant, I began to experience a sudden onset of depression out of nowhere. I don't have depression, so I was confused about where it was coming from since everything in life was going so well for me, and the only recent change I had made was the new edibles. I pinpointed that as the cause, but in my previous blog post, I made it sound like marijuana in general was to blame.

I now want to clarify it was simply my reaction to a specific variant of THC edibles. For some reason, the delta-10 had an adverse effect on me. I recall a time before that experience where someone had given me a bag of THC gummy bears that had resulted in the same depressing effect and I ended up getting rid of them because of it. I'm guessing those may have been chemically altered and hemp-derived as well.

Online research tells me that delta-10 is mostly produced in a laboratory, converting hemp-derived CBD artificially into delta-10 using chemical solvents and acids. They call this synthetic process "isomerization." Delta-8, as well as legal delta-9, is also produced in a similar way. While it occurs naturally, there's only a trace amount of delta-8 and delta-10 in cannabis plants, so they have to chemically convert CBD or delta-9 THC into a higher amount of delta-8 or 10 in order to raise its level while staying compliant of the law.

These processes are done so marijuana can legally be sold as a loophole since these variants are hemp-derived and contain less than the legal limit of delta-9 THC. It's strongly recommended you only purchase laboratory-tested THC products because chemical impurities could be present in what you're ingesting if it's from an unqualified source and this could cause harmful effects on you. Homemade edibles should always be carefully considered for this reason.

Like all things prescribed or enjoyed for medicinal or therapeutic purposes, marijuana and its different variants could either have a positive, neutral, or negative effect depending on the person. We all react differently to different things, and it's important to be careful about what medicines and substances you experiment with, even if it's natural or prescribed to you.

I wanted to write this blog to clear marijuana's name after blaming it for the dark depression I momentarily experienced last year. Marijuana is nature, and of the earth. Humans messing with it using chemical compounds and synthetic processes in order to avoid legal ramifications are what caused the adverse effect in me. I support the use of unadulterated marijuana for medicinal or moderate recreational purposes, and I hope one day the legislative war on this plant will finally be over so future negative reactions can be avoided.

A long time ago, I learned a unique way to identify people's personalities using four personal elements. This universal method works for everyone, and I'm going to explain it in detail in this blog and describe myself using the elements as an example to better teach it. After you understand this method, I invite you to identify yourself using the given elements. This can help you realize where you're strong as a person and where you may need improvement.

Personalities are too diverse to be described as just introvert or extrovert, or a "cat" or "dog" person. It's too generic to label someone so simply, or by saying you're just a happy person or a sad person -- that can change at any given time.

There are four elements that are used to describe a person's overall personality. Depending on how much you have of each element correlates with the type of person you are, and the goal is to have all four of these elements equally balanced. Too much of one element is not a good thing, nor is not having enough of one.

The four elements are Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth. First I will describe each element in detail, then I'll provide examples of what having too much or too little of each one will result in.


Wind represents intellect. People who are strong in the Wind element are intelligent and logical. They think clearly and are creative, philosophical, and analytical. They can also be metaphorical and enjoy wordplay. Psychology, brainstorming, and coming up with ideas are also strong points for Windy people. They love socializing and having "deep" conversations.

A person who has too much of the Wind element is known as an "airhead" because, as the saying goes, their head is always in the clouds. They will often find themselves distracted by their constant stream of thoughts and ideas and find difficulty focusing as a result. They may also live more in a fantasy world than reality due to an overactive imagination. They might even be difficult to converse with because they're constantly correcting your grammar and using big words to show off their high IQ.

A person who has too little of the Wind element never thinks things through. They may lack creativity, have no imagination, and speak in a simple-minded manner. Intellectual discussions will bore them. They won't have any input to offer and will often answer questions with "I don't know."

The next element, Fire, represents passion. A person who is strong in the Fire element has a lot of energy, ambition, and motivation. They're a take-charge kind of person who may also be impulsive and a risk-taker. They're experimental in the sense that they aren't afraid to try new things. They're also playful and competitive, headstrong, and they stand up for themselves.

A person who has too much Fire is known as a "hothead." They're temperamental and easily agitated. They flare up when someone angers them and may be prone to fighting or physical violence. Their fiery nature can scare people off or push them away. They may be so steadfast that they're stubborn and will never back down, admit their mistake, or apologize even if they realize they're wrong.

Someone with too little fire has no ambition. They lack the motivation to get things done or take the first step toward something they need to do. They aren't the type to compete in sports or enjoy physical horseplay. They don't take risks or have a sense of adventure. They would never be the leader of any group.

The third element is Water. Water represents emotion. An individual who is strong in the Water category is caring, empathic, kind, and altruistic. They're a good listener and the type of person you can depend on if you need someone to talk to or cheer you up. They might also be the person who goes to you when they need to vent. They're there for you, they have others' interests in minds instead of only their own, and they trust people and "let them in." As the saying goes, they wear their heart on their sleeve.

Having too much Water will make you a wishy-washy kind of person. This means you're too sensitive and dramatic. You may find yourself crying often. Crying after a good movie or emotional song is a healthy example of the Water element, but if you find yourself having mental breakdowns on a regular basis, it means you need to get control over your emotions.

If you don't have enough Water though, you may be seen as an emotionless person who keeps things bottled up inside. You put a wall up around you and don't trust people or let them into your life. It will be harder for you to make friends and have relationships. People who had a rough upbringing will often become mentally and emotionally hardened and will need to work hard to soften up. This can also happen as a result of being abandoned or betrayed by friends, family, or lovers, which can develop trust issues.

The final element is Earth. Earth represents your life's compass. Someone who has a good balance of Earth is rooted to a path of success. They know their lane in life and they stay in it. They have a good sense of direction, are career-oriented and financially stable, and they stay true to themselves. They're also great family people (think of the stay-at-home mom who covers the walls with family photos, or the person who calls their pet their "child"). They're able to stay friends with people for a long time and maintain long-lasting relationships and employment. They are also in touch in nature and respect the planet and their fellow living beings.

Too much Earth can be considered a bad thing. Someone who is too Earthy is stuck in their own ways and never open to change. They may hate society because they're aware of how humans pollute the air, kill innocent animals, cut down trees, and otherwise destroy the planet. Some will put wild animals above fellow humans because of how connected they feel to nature. These are the vegetarians who attack people who don't share their choice of diet because they believe "meat is murder," and also the climate activists who block traffic as a form of protest.

Not having enough Earth means you have no direction in life. You're like a wild leaf constantly blowing in a turbulent breeze, unable to find a place to settle down and call home. This is the person who bounces from job to job, unable to secure long term employment or find a career that works for them. They will be in and out of relationships constantly and have trouble keeping friends. They might even be homeless because they lost their way and dug themselves into a hole.


So those are the four elements and what they represent. Are you able to choose your strongest element and recognize what your weakest is? Here's a test I came up with to see if you understand the basics of Wind, Fire, Water and Earth.

Scenario 1: You read a post on social media from someone that says "An update on my music project: I now have four songs written but I still need to record them." Which element is this post strong in, and where does it show weakness?

Answer: Writing songs is an example of intellect, so this is strong in the Wind category. However, not having the motivation to put those ideas into motion and record the songs shows a lack of Fire. A good idea will never see the light of day without the passion and drive needed to make it a reality.

Scenario 2: The next social media post you read says "I've been at this job for 12 years and I'm so over it! I can't take another day of this place or my co-workers." Which personality elements come to mind with this post?

Answer: Being at a job for 12 years shows strength in the Earth element, but this emotional outburst is overflowing with Water. Remember it's not good to have too much of one element. Remaining at a job you're unhappy at may also be an example of too much Earth because it shows you're too rooted and not open to change, even when it's apparent that it's necessary for your well being.

Scenario 3: The third post you read surprises you. It says "the next time my neighbor's dog wakes me up at night, I'm going to think of a way to make my neighbor's life a living hell like he's making mine." What are your thoughts on this one?

Answer: This is certainly a fiery statement to make. Assuming they didn't try talking to their neighbor first to find a resolution, it appears this person is taking a bull-headed approach to an issue they're having. Instead of using their brain logically, they're seeking to come up with a plan of revenge to fight fire with fire instead of coming up with a solution to extinguish the flames. When you pour gasoline on a fire, it will only burn brighter and begin to consume everyone around it.

How did you do in understanding these examples? To explain this even better, I'm now going to share my elemental identity with you.


In the broadest terms, I have always considered myself to be a fiery intellectual. This means that Fire and Wind are my strongest elements. I've always been energetic, passionate, and adventurous. I'm also headstrong and competitive. At the same time, I love to use my brain. I'm always seeking knowledge and learning new things. I'm a big fan of using wordplay and I enjoy clever humor. Do you notice how the video titles on my channel and in the behind-the-scenes extras tend to rhyme or have each word begin with the same letter? This is called an alliteration and it's an example of intellect.

Having the intellect to create and the passion to put an idea into motion is what resulted in the blog you're reading right now. I created The No Deo Hero using my own inspirations and ideas and I stayed true to myself the entire time. I put my heart, soul and emotion into it, and with a good balance of Earth, I've managed to stay on the same successful path despite any obstacles that came up along the way.

With Fire and Wind being my strongest elements, I wouldn't say that Water or Earth are necessarily weak for me. I'm a single homeowner who's financially stable and I've been operating as The No Deo Hero for over 8 years now. This shows a major growth in me as a person. I used to have difficulty maintaining employment at the same place for a while -- in fact, the longest job I held was for four and a half years at a restaurant. Being able to single-handedly keep my internet presence strong and successfully live off of it shows a big improvement in Earth for me.

I'm not ashamed to admit that certain songs and movies can make me cry. A good book or video game can stir up emotion in me. I like to express my feelings, especially when someone touches my life in a positive way. I do have strengths in the Water category. However, I know my areas of improvement lie in making adjustments to my Fire and Water elements.

I can be too Fiery to a fault. Sometimes I let little things anger or annoy me that shouldn't. I get mad at video games if they become too difficult. I yell at the screen and curse the developers for coming up with something so frustrating. I get angry if I'm trying to fix something at my house and it doesn't work the way it should. I say things out loud like "why don't these tools do what they're supposed to do? Why can't people come up with a better way to do this?" If I'm in a bad mood and I hit my arm or shin on a wall, I hit the wall back with my fist as if it's going to feel the same pain that I just did. I get excited during conversations that interest me and will sometimes accidentally talk over people.

I do at least know how to say sorry and admit when I'm wrong. My intellectual logic will overpower stubbornness and lower the flames inside enough for me to think things clearly instead of blindly acting on rage. I'm still steadfast and headstrong though and won't allow myself to be disrespected or taken advantage of. Sometimes people take my friendly and occasionally goofy sense of humor for weakness, but they quickly learn I'm not to be victimized or preyed on.

I'm also aware I have trust issues with other people. I had a fairly rough childhood with alcoholism as well as physical and verbal abuse at home, and I've also been abandoned by friends I've made throughout life that I was loyal and caring toward. This has affected my interest in making new friends and caused me to focus more on continuing to thrive independently and become my own best friend. I won't always give people the benefit of the doubt and might assume that only their own best interests are on their minds. Allowing hurtful instances of the past to affect your overall trust in other people is a lapse in the Water element.


Where do you stand with your elements? How close are you to achieving a perfect balance of all four of them? A leopard never changes its spots, as they say, but there is always the possibility for improvement if you find ways to work toward it. If you're too angry all the time, try meditation or yoga. If you're prone to mental breakdowns, do what you can to eliminate stress in your life. You may need to change jobs or the people you hang around or live with. Making better use of your time is always beneficial, and controlling what you watch and listen to will also have a profound effect on you. Avoid negativity on social media or from the news, especially when it comes to politics. The path to happiness lies in unity, not division.

I hope you learned something about yourself from reading this, and you likely just learned something new about me as well. Use this elemental guide to better yourself and understand the people around you. Your elemental energy will interact with theirs in unique ways. Remember that everyone is different and the best way to live your life is to be yourself. Love yourself and take pride in who you are, but acknowledge that everyone always has room for improvement and it's never too late to start striving to be better.

2013 was the year I stopped using all the hygiene products I had been raised on. My parents taught me at an early age to use deodorant, shampoo, body soap, and toothpaste, but down the road I gave them up one by one. I wasn't raised by wolves, I grew up to become one.

My natural outlook on life is the prime reason for this. I met people over the years who lived without using these products on their bodies and it piqued my curiosity. I remembered during my teen years when I would get flaky skin from body soap, a dry scalp from shampoo, and itchy rashes from deodorant. Back then I thought my skin was the problem, but eventually I realized the problem was actually the chemicals I was using on my body.

It's been 11 years since I've used deodorant, shampoo, body soap, or toothpaste. I've been washing my hands with antibacterial soap several times daily this entire time and I rinse my body with water in the shower every other day because I'm still hygienic. My skin has been the healthiest it's ever been and I haven't had to deal with dry scalp, tooth pain, or itchy underarms. Sure, I have my own natural smell that I and other people notice, but I own it with pride. 

In regards to dental health, I haven't had any cavities or toothaches in this 11 year period of not using toothpaste or mouthwash. I've always been very good about brushing my teeth 3 times every day (once after each meal) by just wetting the brush with water, and I also floss twice daily without ever missing a day. I also don't eat candy and will rarely have anything with added sugar to it.

It's been surreal to be able to adhere to that schedule and not have to visit a dentist a single time in over 10 years. It proves that keeping your teeth clear of lodged food and destructive sugars is the true solution for healthy teeth and gums, and that toothpaste and mouthwash only exist as band-aids or backup for people that don't regularly brush or floss. Bad breath and tooth decay is caused by particles left in your teeth to rot that you didn't remove because you skipped out on basic hygiene habits.

This is why people who use fluoride-free toothpaste as a more natural choice of product may have bad teeth. If you don't regularly brush or floss, you don't have that fluoride protection to make up for it. Fluoride has been scientifically proven to be beneficial for teeth and bones in small doses, but too much of it can cause adverse health effects. This is why there's also concerns about drinking city water that has fluoride added to it.

I will always be an advocate for a more natural way of living. Having unnaturally bleached teeth does not appeal to me. As we age, it's perfectly normal for your teeth to take on a slight yellow tint, and this is still considered normal and healthy. Society's artificial beauty standards are what convince people that pure white teeth are a must and that they need to use harmful chemicals to whiten them. I haven't been one of those people in 10 years and I don't plan on ever being one.

I'm a 90's kid and grew up with Super Mario Bros. I was fascinated by the Mario games and the fantasy worlds they took place in. When I was in school, I would draw my own Super Mario 3 overworld maps during class and attempt to design my own levels for an imaginary sequel or expansion of the game. I used to walk around clutching any object I could find in one of my hands like Mario holding a vegetable on the cover of the USA version of Super Mario 2. One of my cousins and I were so into Super Mario World that we pretended to be Mario and Yoshi and I'd jump on his back while he walked around pretending to eat berries off of trees. I even used to run around blinking my eyes for a make-believe shining effect and pretending I had an invincibility star.

During recess in elementary school, I would sometimes pretend to be Bowser and chase girls on the sports field while acting like I was blowing flames at them. They laughed and played along, running away screaming because they were imagining themselves to be princesses who didn't want to get captured by King Koopa. One Halloween, my mother designed an awesome Bowser costume for me to wear for trick or treating. I've also always had a great imagination, and while I was in bed at night right before I'd go to sleep, I would throw the covers over my head and act out a made-up episode of the Super Mario cartoons that used to air on television while providing the voices for each character.

I'm still a Nintendo gamer to this day. The Switch is the only gaming system I own, and it's surreal to see Nintendo and the Mario series still going strong. I recently played through Super Mario Bros. Wonder and loved that game. With everything I just said though, I'm not going to make the obvious choice and say Mario, Bowser, or even Yoshi is my favorite video game character of all time.

Over the years I've been a big fan of other video game franchise characters, like Tails the fox from Sonic the Hedgehog for example, but there's one character from another video game that I've always found really cool, and that's Reptile from Mortal Kombat.

I've always enjoyed fighting games like Tekken, Primal Rage, Super Smash Bros, Clay Fighter, and more, but the original Mortal Kombat games were always the best to me. They had a combination of ninjas, elemental powers, strong warriors, and an impressive variety of characters to choose from. I remember mailing a fan letter to the two creators of the game and they were cool enough to write back and answer all my questions I had about their awesome creation.

In the first Mortal Kombat game, a mysterious character named Reptile is available to fight as a secret match if you manage to find him. This is iconic because he became the first secret character in fighting game history. He starts off as just a recolor of the other ninja characters and borrows their special moves, but he gains his own identity and appearance in the follow-up games.

As his name implies, Reptile is a lizard-like Saurian who has the ability to shapeshift into a human form; a species later known as Zaterran. He's eventually given a "real" name of Syzoth, and he possesses the ability to turn invisible and spit acid at his opponents in the Mortal Kombat games. Other characters insult him for his repulsive appearance and foul, noxious smell.

I never liked how Reptile was always portrayed as a gullible servant who did what he had to do in order to save his family and learn more about his mysterious race, so whenever I chose him as my fighter I would change his storyline in my mind to one of an outcast who serves no one but himself. My favorite games to play as Reptile are Mortal Kombat II, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat X. His design in MKX is my overall favorite, and that's also the game they officially gave him his own unique voice and dialogue.

When I was in middle school, I had a dream that Reptile was real. He appeared as a small lizard just as he had in the first Mortal Kombat movie using CGI, and he was running around and causing a mixture of chaos and excitement on the school playground. Some kids were fleeing from him in fear while others were laughing and chasing him as he rushed around at blinding speed and camouflaged in the outside surroundings in order to evade capture.

I love video games, and if I had to pick one character to name as my favorite, I'm going to give that honor to Reptile because of how cool he is and how much he evolved as a character. I mean, who wouldn't want to play as a stinking, acid-spitting lizard-man who can turn invisible and use his long tongue to eat his opponents' heads? It should come as no surprise that I chose an Argonian character for my first playthrough of Skyrim because they're a race of humanoid lizards and it reminded me of Reptile.

Since my mother had made me cool Halloween costumes like Bowser, Shredder from the Ninja Turtles, and James from Team Rocket before, I tried asking her to make me a Reptile costume in his human/ninja form, but that was unfortunately the year she wasn't able to find time or energy to make them by hand anymore. So while I don't have a costumed photo of myself to share, I found a picture online of someone who managed to pull it off really well!