First of all, I can reassure you, that despite all I went through today, it was still a good day. I visited The ROM today (Royal Ontario Museum) a place I never been to, since I was a kid. As I was going there I noticed a few things in history I never paid attention too. Such as the various histories of many cultures, the study of animal life both prehistoric, as well as looking at various arts, made by talented artists both living and dead. However while the trip was ok, I did have a few problems. For starters, a minor problem that made me blow up a little, the cafe got my order wrong even though I told them twice what I wanted. I wasn't the only one to suffer this, but at the same time, it ticked me off. So I went to the exhibits to cool off. Only to panic, when I was unable to find my way back to the cafe. I did, but they finally got my order right as well as everyone else's. While I was able to enjoy my lunch I was still ticked off and to make matters worse, part of my group, was a couple arguing. What they were arguing about was none of my business, but at the same time, I thought a public argument, in front of a Museum, a place where families go to teach the children about the ups and downs of the world, was inappropriate. Needless to say when I tried to diffuse things it got worse and I almost got into a fight with the person. Security was there, I told my side of the story and I was just waiting for this trip to end, because for some reason, although I was glad to come see the old ROM again, I felt like there was something off about the place. I felt that same sensation in other places, which have a history of human suffering. So needless to say even the exhibits didn't help matters. I find out later, that the couple have cooled off, much to my relief and everyone else in the group was able to go where they wanted to see stuff. While I am relieved things got resolved quickly, I worried things would have gotten worse.

However there were two life lessons I learned from going to that Museum.

1. No matter where you go, you can't escape drama. You can choose to go the other direction or you can choose to stop it in general. I myself do not like getting involved in other people's drama's even if they try to drag me, but if I do get involved in some way, by my own fault or theirs, I make them regret it. That's the key to surviving drama. Try not to get involved and make them wish you didn't. I thought I was crazy handling it the way I did, but at the same time I realized in the past years, that's what's been keeping me going. Motivating me into moving forward.
2. Regarding the museum itself, it was still worth the trip, as I was able to look at things from the perspective of an adult, in a place that I enjoyed when I was a kid. It gave me a fresh new perspective on the world. Sometimes you do have to go back to the beginning to understand what you are going through. I was able to get a glimpse of the ancient cultures, both from my own background and the backgrounds of those close in my life. Giving me a better picture on what these cultures are like to this day as they changed and grew. Art in a good way never changed and at the same time, it allowed me to realize something. When it comes down to it, we as a species aren't all that different from each other. We may come from different places, have a different point of view of who created what, have differing political views and things that upon disagreement, we've fought, beaten and killed each other over it. However we all in our own ways started out the same way. Primitive and new, finding our feet to the world, developing and seeing how far we go in our respective parts of the world, to slowly, but surely advancing to the point where we could see and interact with each other, whether we click on common ground or hate each other over differences that seem big, but are rather small and petty when you look at them from a wider lens. We may not like the same foods, we may not like the same fashion, we may argue constantly on whether or not there is one God, Many Gods or none at all, but each and every one of us in our own way, have gone through trials and tribulations that have hardened us, toughened us up, but most importantly, made us really think and care more. A decade ago I was a hot head, picking fights with people on the net, not caring who was crying on the other side or laughing at my attempts at striking back. But while I still struggle with that side of myself, which believe me in this day in age is as hard to do offline as it is online, I do stop to think and see what it is. Childish, petty, not worth my time.

Which leads me to the next eye opener. I've kinda known this for a long time, but only remembered it recently. I won't name names or explain exactly what happened, partly because I am too disgusted and pissed off to talk about it, but the whole time in my own personal life I've had a known pedophile under my nose the whole time. The only reason I didn't remember it, was because it happened almost a decade and a half ago, back when I was attending High School. This person was in their 20s when it happened and the person this person was prostituting back then was near my age. And while I don't remember meeting him in person, I do know enough that they stuck with each other post High School. Just goes to show, the third lesson I learned.

3. The past can come back to haunt you or enlighten you, in ways you cannot imagine.

Since then I told as many people as I knew about it.

Now one thing I often stressed, was that I live in a dangerous town. It's one of the reasons I was able to figure things out here on Newgrounds and other net related shit, because they pale in comparison to the shit I witnessed for the past 26 years of my 32, soon to be 33 year life. However there is one benefit to a high crime related town. Although these are really bad people and I mean really really bad, like many criminals all over the world, they have one piece of common ground:

They Fucking Hate Pedophiles and other varieties of that scum.

Whether it is on the street or in the dangerous depths of the local prison system, some crooks often have one or more moments where they try to do something right for a change. The only thing that separates them from the police is that, they go outside the law to do it. And if they ever once seen a pedo in their crosshairs....well let's just say it's ugly. What's even uglier though is that the person whom was doing this, a person whom also terrorized a lot of people over the past decade. As I mentioned before, in a previous article, I don't condone violence as an Artist. Let's just say even as an Artist I believe this person should suffer a horrific torture, befitting of 80s slasher movies. But that's just wishful thinking. I'm pretty sure whatever happens, the city will get him one way or the other. Be it the streets, the law, who knows maybe both.

Before I would never even think to mention more of my life on this site, because either people would worry or not believe me. But after that trip to the museum, it really started to reiterate on making my life better, now that good things have happened to me. And while that specific day did seem bad, I was able to enjoy the rest of my day like I usually do. Smoke weed, watch movies and think up more ideas for my works. That museum really inspired me.

So I close out by saying, I had a Hell of a life changing experience and from this baptism of fire, I came out a more humble, tougher and spiritually stable person. I'm still me, but I'm my better self again. It's been a long time.

So take care, stay safe and hopefully, stay tuned for more.