Tonight was a night of somber reflection. I spent a great deal of it reminising, about the past glory days of "The Brotherhood". Glories days that are, in retrospect, not as glorious as one may believe. But still, were far more heart-warming and enjoyable, than the harsh and broodish reality of today's modern, urban struggle.

 Under a half moon, the night sky seemed all that more clear. I walked as I walked over a decade ago. The exact, same walk I'd taken hundreds of times over, after a night of rowdy debauchery with "The Brotherhood". Transversing alleyways, sidewalks, and peering into the gaslit gothic mansions of Jarvis Street. Back then, everything seemed so harmonious. I can vividly recall the clicking tempo of my leather Skull boots along the cobblestone. Interrupted by the tapping of my walking stick. Occasionally stopping to sit on a bench, the sound of coy, female laughter was like music to my ears. As I watched couples in love taking a midnight stroll though the park. Sometimes, a person pasing me on the street would look up to see me approaching, and I would smile, as I watched their eyes grow wide with disbelief. Because surely...This must be some kind of ghostly apparition approaching them. As no modern gentleman dresses like 18th century Victorian aristocracy. Complete with ruffled shirt, velvet vest, and a brocade froak coat. With skin far, too pale. With lips and eyes too bruised and dark. Surely, this was a rip in the fabric of time they were experiencing.

 With those days long past, I would love nothing more, than to resurrect the spirit of that time. Those were the only days when I felt what it was to be truly alive. Before the realities of urban life had taken hold, and the concepts of possibility and opportunity still had promise. Everything today seems so alien and foreign to me. Or, as previously stated, harsh and broodish. I feel like a good portion of myself died with those times, and I'm just this shell of what I used to be. Drifting throughout the world, my ghost occasionally being spotted at places I used to inhabit. With the life energy having been stripped from me almost entirely, as a result of perpetually slaving to the grind, I have lost all contact with what once brought great joy to my life. Much like a person on a respirator, ths spirit is dead, yet the shell continues to live on.

 So when do we pull the plug?

 Gh0sT

 Ask yourself this: Do stereotypes exist for a reason? Personally, I'm starting to believe they very much do. I know that's not the "politically correct" way to think. But dammit. When the hell, have I ever been so? Much like Jesse "The Body" use to say, I have to call them as I see them. And see them I have. Over the last several years.

 Let's be honest. Stereotypes have existed, for God knows how long. They bridge every race, creed, colour, gender, sexual orientation, and subculture known to man. And despite the diversity of such, there is one thing they all share in common. Which simpley put, is this: PEOPLE PERPETUATE THEM. Not only when they use them, but when they purposely live up to the stereotype themselves.

 Case in point.

 On one of my first days at my current job, one of my co-workers, during a lull in the action, inquired about my racial background. When I told him half my family were of Irish decent, the other half Italian, he replied, "Holy s__t. I wouldn't want to be at one of your family dinners during the holidays! Sounds like all the trappings of a drunken brawl!". Now, I could have taken that personally, and refuted such a claim as completely and totally baseless. But in all honesty, I couldn't. Because I am unable to recall, just how many times I have been sujected to one of the many endless stories over family dinner, of my two Irish cousins, Ronnie and Paul, getting absolutely falling down drunk, and proceeding to be the holy Hell out of each other. And again. These aren't two randomly, intoxicated Irishmen meeting up in a bar, taking offence to one another's presence, and commencing to drop the gloves. These two, were FULL BLOOD BROTHERS. Brothers, who took great joy, in sending each other to the hospital. So based on just that one example (Not to mention, the centuries-old religious wars fought in Ireland) is it any wonder why someone might pick up on the time-honoured stereotype, of the "Fighting Irish"?

 Sexual orientation can be wrought with stereotypes as well. Several years ago, I remember reading a column, by a local gay writer/pornographer. He recalled a story involving two of his male, homosexual friends, who were co-habitating in a long term relationship. They had invited a straight married couple to their home for dinner, and were giving them to customary tour of the house. Upon arriving at the bedroom, the straight couple couldn't help but remark, about the sophisicated decour of the room. To which the one owners replied, "Well. If gay man stopped decorating their bedrooms like a 9th grade girls, in pastels and stuffed teddy bears, then maybe the straight world would begin to take us a little more seriously.". Clearly, this was a couple who even understood the dangers of perpetuating a stereotype, in their very own community. And were making a concerted effort to do the exact opposite.

 Subcultures can be a breeding ground for stereotypes, too. On general principle, they can indirectly prevent one member from associating with that of another group. Thus not allowing someone an unrestricted, impartial view of another. To make matters worse, an underlying sense of peer pressure may result in a member feeling the need to perpetuate certain aspects of said group. Even if they feel some of those traits and behaviours are counter productive to the group's image as a whole, or even their own sense of right and wrong. The end result being, of course, what becomes stereotypical behaviour. Because one person never really gets a chance to know another person of a different group, other than on a superficial level. As they are forever on the outside, looking in. All they will percieve, and begin to see as law, is what the group perpetuates. Not the individual. One of the prime reasons you are warned as a child, "You are judged by the company you keep.". A motto we tend to forget as we grow old.

 However they began, or the degree of truth that's involved in each, one thing is for certain: Stereotypes have been around a long time, and will most likely continue to be around for a long time to follow. The only thing one can do to combat such, is for each person so routienely examine themselves, their traits and behaviours, and ask themselves if they are doing anything, directly or indirectly, to perpetuate the stereotypes that may be be associated with who they are, where they're from, or what they are about. Doing so, you just may break one in the process, or stop another one from taking root altogether.

 Just a thought,

 Gh0sT