#pen pal

[mysteriousdreamnavigator]

[die-rosastrasse]

Fragments of a fantasy-themed letter for my Irish pen pal 🌿✨

[dame-nostalgique]

Spring-inspired envelope 🌷🕊️

[amloveabledeathmo]

I do not think of myself as particularly smart, I really don't. However there are times where the words of others makes me wonder about human intelligence. I know people often say there are no stupid questions but I very much disagree.

Joined an orientation last night for an organization that is volunteer run for connecting pen-pals between incarcerated people and outside people. If you have any interest in such an activity please check them out, they are called Letters for Liberation and the guy doing the presentation said there are a lot more inside people wanting pen-pals than outside people willing to do it.

Which I'm not sure I should complain now that I've identified the organization but I will anyway. So the host kept talking about how people aren't disposable and that inside people will have different lived experiences and that they try not to make generalizations because again they are people who are individuals. I am glad I had my camera off because I'm sure I was making faces. Like I was thinking yeah of course, we aren't second graders, I've know people are individual people my whole life, I mean my own siblings have a vastly different lived experience than I do so why would anyone assume that all incarcerated people are the same when no one is, ever.

Apparently no, we are second graders. The host was talking about in the first letter to tell them a bit about yourself and your hobbies and ask them about theirs. Host was saying when he gets a new pen pal he tells them about the books he's reading and if they like to read. So an excellent example from his experience. No way to misunderstand right? Wrong! A lady asks "Well do they all read?" Host was like well they are at least reading some, our organization was listed in resource guides a few years ago and even though we are not actively promoting at all we still get people writing in requesting pen pals. She follows up with "No I meant do they all read books? You said you ask about books." Lady those are his hobbies that is trying to use to connect with someone. Also how in the world are they supposed to be able to tell you if they all read? That is a question you would ask your pen-pal if you get one. Like that is such a stupid question to me, it wouldn't be stupid to ask the pen-pal but to ask the organization if ALL the people wanting pen-pals read books is ridiculous, they are all individual people like what? Host is trying to be like well you would have to ask them but most seem to read something whether that's books, comic, magazines, or new articles.

So we move on and at the end same lady has another question. It is so absurd. She asked "How long do these relationships last?" You mean a relationship between YOU who the organization really doesn't know and another individual who the organization really doesn't know. You want them to be able to figure out a formula to what? Like you don't know how long any relationship will last. When you make friend anywhere you don't know how long the relationship will last. They could want to continue writing after they've been released, they could die, you could die, either one of you could decide the other person is not the right vibe or is annoying or frustrating. I mean there is absolutely no way at all for them to answer that question. Host was trying to kinda explain that and she's like well are you saying that it could be 20 years? Host was like I guess. Her"So it's a long term thing?" Ma'am please use the brain that is in your head. Why would it not be? Why would sign up to potentially be a pen-pal with someone if you are wanting what like 2 letters, I just, it's so so so baffling to me. These questions are mostly unanswerable and make no sense.

Like am I just to judgemental or what?

But please do check out Letters for Liberation if you at all think it might be something you'd be interested in doing. You fill out a basic form and do an orientation and after the orientation you can decide how involved you want to be or if you don't want to.

[groovygrlstar]

[blinkees]

[dimensionhoppingtrio2]

Wait genuine question because I’m kind of dumb, how come a lot of people say Percy’s chosen name would be Persephone? I thought that she didn’t really have a good relationship with the gods, Persephone included

Percy and Persephone don't have a good relationship canonically but they don't canonically have a bad one either-her role throught the series left her uninvolved in what was happening to Percy minus Sword Of Hades and even then she wasn't harming her or any other half-bloods(there was her beef with Nico but that was so petty and unserious it couldn't be classified as child abuse-said as a survivor myself!)and she's one of the very few select deity's she dosen't insult or disrespect at any point so similar to Aphrodite,Artemis and others in that category,it's not (inherently) ignoring her disdain for gods as a group.I see them bonding during the Botl-Tlo interlude year book i have in my head focusing on Nico and Percy's reconciliation as a result of how Persephone's his stepmom so Percy goes on trips/sneak-ins to the Underworld way more through different contexts and since Percy seems like she wouldn't want to change her name,'Persephone' can also be shortened to 'Percy' like her birth name and they're pretty alike in significant areas,their newfound closeness inspired her to name herself after her as a thank you for her support and companionship and i could also see Percy asking her for permission first and Persephone being so touched and pleased it clears any hesitation now Persephone Jackson had on her chosen name.Does this bring to mind the 'names have power' dilemma?You might say so but Percy's already been through something similar to Persephone i.e nonconsensually trapped by the gods' rules to keep returning to their bounds during a certain season no matter how badly she wanted to come back to her mother permanently and never see them again,starting when she was a little girl and set in motion by Hades' and Zeus' pettiness,so there isn't a point in trying to avoid what happened long before anyway

Sidenote,this is why i also don't really see her picking any names except Persephone or at least something else she could turn into her canon nickname.It just goes too well with her(both 'Persephone' and 'Percy').Percy's more likely to sing 'What's my Name?' from Descendants than any songs from The Little Mermaid tbh