Who the Eff is Thursday?

Thursday can be many things, but I think Douglas Adams sums it up best in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. “ ‘This must be Thursday,’ said Arthur to himself… ‘I never could get the hang of Thursdays.’ ” I think that’s such a wonderful way to introduce a day, even if I myself quite like Thursdays. After all, Thursday is just one day before Friday, which is one day before the Weekend (I think that the Weekend deserves the capitol letter because of the feelings of whimsy and import it places upon us when we say and/or think of it).

However, this specific Thursday’s name is Casey. Or Shaffer, if you happen upon me while I’m performing my military duties. I am just one facet of Thursday, and these Thursdays are just one facet of me. There are many facets to my person. I’ll let Neil Gaiman explain how I feel upon this topic. Dream (of the Sandman series) states, “Each facet catches the light in its own way. It glints and sparkles and flashes uniquely. It would almost be possible to believe that the facet was the jewel; not just a tiny part of it. But then, as we move the jewel another facet catches the light…” (Sandman: The Kindly Ones, Gaiman). I think this goes a bit further in ideology than what John Green was saying in Paper Towns, about how each of us sees a person differently than everyone else sees that person, and all those views are both true and false. The quote from Sandman not only states that we are sometimes so enamored with our particular view of someone that we forget that there is something more than our ideas, but also that the person can reveal new ideas and beliefs over time. We are all multi-faceted jewels, and one shouldn’t be so dazzled by the sparkling light from one facet that they forget that there is an entire jewel to look at and admire.

I am an American Soldier. I am also a Nerdfighter, and a student, and a dreamer, and a creep. I am a sister, daughter, lover, fighter. I am all of these things and more. We are all more than our labels and honorifics. Like the Meredith Brooks song, we are all many different, sometimes contradictory, things.

My hope is that you will come to realize my many facets through this blog, and by observing mine, perhaps begin to explore those in yourself and the others around you.

And now that I have bored you with my philosophical soap-box, I will give you a little bit of background information so that you may start creating an idea of who I am (overall) in your head.

My name is Casey Marie Shaffer; three very generic names put together to create and very non-generic person. I have spent 20 years on this earth, and most of them have been spent reading, sleeping, drawing, writing, crying, hoping, watching, loving. I love reading books and listening to music, and I believe that they are the source of my joy when I’m not busy living, and often bring me joy when I’m in need.

I am not a Christian, though I used to be. I think I got tired of my and everyone else’s hypocrisy. I do believe in Howard, which is my silly pet name for the Higher Power who I believe to shape the universe. He’s a funny guy, that Howard; he always knows how to make my day by showing me the awesome in the world. I also don’t believe in Hell, but I do believe in Heaven, or at least, I believe in Paradise. Also, the idea of forever scares me. A lot.

I am a people apologist. I can empathize with just about anyone, and possibly everyone, though I haven’t yet heard any redeeming qualities about the people who protest the funerals of fallen soldiers (I’ll not now bore you with a rant, but rather wait until it’s fitting in with the topic of the week). This quality in myself reminds me a lot of Ender Wiggin, and I’d like to think that I could be a decent Speaker of the Dead.

I judge books by their covers. I don’t allow myself to be blinded to good books if they don’t have interesting covers, but I usually need a recommendation or two (or five) before I will actually pick it up and read it. However, the books I’m usually reluctant to read in the first place often turn out to be my very favorites. I initially thought Harry Potter looked like a stupid book, but once I had read the first chapter I was hooked, and ended up dedicating around eight years of my life to Harry and his friends (the only relationship I’ve had that lasted longer than a few weeks). However, interesting covers are also what attracted me to John Green, and eventually Nerdfighteria, so remember fledgling authors, when publishing your book make sure it has a nice cover. It doesn’t define the quality of the book, but it will definitely attract people who will find the underlying quality of the story.

I myself aspire to one day be an author. I want nothing more than to influence the hearts and minds of the people as my heart and mind has been touched by the many authors of the books I have read. Every book I read leaves a little bit of its message in me, and I am who I am because of what I have read. Books and words are powerful if used correctly, and just because it isn’t real doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

I feel like I’ve been writing a lot for this blog post, and it’s both exciting and daunting to know that I could write a good deal more. However, these are the words with which I leave you. Take them and learn from them, and do your best not to forget the hidden truth in lies, for lies sometimes hold the greatest amount of truth.

Peace and penguins to you all.

…And then there was one…