Drama

I think I'm going to post my random thoughts about the common phenomenon of drama now.

C'mon, I know you're all familiar with it. Most people either thrive on it or desperately want to make it go away. Someone goes out with someone else, they break up, it's ugly and rocks the entire group of friends. Or maybe so-and-so and whats-her-nose got into a huge fight and manage to drag every single one of their acquaintances into the conflict, kicking and screaming and wrangling the whole thing out in a public place.

Yes, those are exaggerated examples, although I've seen incidents that approached that level of chaos. They appear (where else?) in Jr. High, where drama is a personality trait, and everyone's spreading their social wings only to fall flat on their collective faces.

All random examples aside, what I'm wondering is this: what in particular makes for drama? Is it good? Is it bad? Does it make life interesting or merely hellish? Riverwood, my old church in Detroit, is always awash with drama. Is that just because of the people that go there? Can one person inspire drama, or does it take a group of drama-minded people to cause an ongoing series of incidents? Is it attached to a geographical location? A certain culture? The importance and smallness of a certain group which defines one's identity? Is it intrinsically related to romantic interest and not to friendship?

Quite frankly, my life in Detroit was dramatic. Everything that happened to me seemed of first importance. I had energy and passion to spare, and every bump in the road seemed likely to cause a five-car pile-up. The smallest slight could cause an (I like this word) wrangle. Of course, I also liked someone rather a lot.

Quite frankly, my life in Alabama and at Messiah is normal. And by "normal" I mean "emotionally stable." We have good times, great times even, and we have hard times, but all in all.... it's stable. There haven't really been huge break-ups or group fights in which people take sides. There hasn't been much rampant and random hate (although I'm guilty of extreme irritation at times). I'm not sure we have much of a grapevine at Messiah, and in Alabama it's completely nonexistent. Why? Of course, in my new life I don't like someone rather a lot. Is that what makes the difference?

And why do I feel that a lack of drama makes my life slightly boring?

Or is it only that I'm slightly bored right now and lacking in mental stimulation and so I wish for things like drama which in the light of frenetic activity I would completely abhor?

Or am I simply guilty of having a very selective memory (not to mention the most attrocious run-on sentences ever - barring the Tale of Two Cities)?

Ah, the hard questions of life. I mean, it's not like questions and doubts about the nature of prayer and faith should be occupying my attention. No, I think investigating the nature and causes of drama is of first importance and should obviously fill my mind for the whole summer.

Heh. That's sarcasm, for the people who just got worried.