Boycott Warner Brothers

I was following an Orphan Organization on twitter and heard about a Facebook group boycotting the new Warner Brothers movie "Orphan". I know there are LOTS of movies that reference orphans. Happy Potter, Batman, Superman, Finding Nemo, and even Wedding Crashers to name a few. It can really ruin the movie if you are an orphan. But Warner Brothers was given an opportunity to make a difference...but they didn't. Adoption groups and parents are upset that this movie may keep people from wanting to adopt. I think the movie is completely unnecessary. It shouldn't be called Orphan because there are no orphans in the movie. The main character in the movie is named Esther and she is 9 years old and is adopted into a family but then tries to kill her new family. When someone is adopted they are no longer considered an orphan. Also keep in mind over 1,300 kids were orphaned from the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. The average age of those kids is 9 years old. Over 3,000 kids lost at least one parent. These kids are about 17 now. I worked at a movie theater for two years and each Friday the teens in town would always hang out at the movie theater. Could you imagine being a teen orphan of 9/11 and going to the movie theater and seeing a poster that says "Orphan" on it? Those kids never got to say good bye. Every year they are reminded of what happened. Every morning they are reminded of their loss. And I am sure they have the worst nightmares from it. Have we forgotten about them? Don't we care? Who would produce or write such a sick movie? And it wasn't just parents who have complained about this movie. It was orphans also. Myself. Movies like this are desensitizing people. They think orphans don't exist and when they do meet one...they just laugh. they don't believe me. Is money all Warner Brothers really cares about? I would want to change the world if I were in their position. I would want to stand out and make a difference.

What should they have done?
Well first of all a movie like that should never have been made. Its very unoriginal idea and not very respectful of people who are orphaned. I think when an orphan is part of a story it is a sign of a crappy writer. Even if it were a true story...it would have turned out differently.

Yes, the movie had already been made, so what should Warner have done? Why not have a sincere apology and read between the lines. Realize how this movie can be a disadvantage to orphans. I think it would be great if they had donated some of the money made from the movie to help orphans. I think all movies that have some tragedy should donate some of the money to help that cause. How could you make money off of a tragedy that you can't even relate to? sick.

Back when I worked at a movie theater there were some movies that came out about the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on 9/11. Not very many people went to see it. Most people realized it is wrong to make money off of a tragedy. Then there was a movie about the Twin Towers collapsing. Some people did go to see that. But you know why? Because Nicholas Cage was in it. I think thats the only reason they went to see it. He could have been in any other movie and they would have went to see him. But no he had to make money off of a tragedy and look at him now. There are several articles all over the web about Nicolas Cage having some serious money problems. Do you see the karma?

Could you imaging being in a foster home wishing to be adopted and the movie "Orphan" come out? Each day, each year passes by and you hope one day you will be able to have a family. Each holiday passes by and then this movie comes out? It must be heartbreaking. Unfortunate people who just want to have a family.

So now I cannot watch any movie that has anything to do with Warner Brothers. I end up thinking of the orphans of 9/11 and it breaks my heart. People of my own kind and still so young. I hope they grow up and change the world.

If you want to support a movie with a GREAT cause check out The One Second Film. Its a film that will be donating all of the proceeds to charity. Now that is awesome. You can find more info at www.1secondfilm.com.
You can donate money to help produce the film. I already have.

Links to the Warner Brothers issue etc:
Warner Bros. "Messed Up" Orphan Ads?

Adoptive Parents Say 'Orphan' Exploits Fears

Adoption Groups Urge To Boycott Warner Bros' "Orphan"

Facebook: Orphans Deserve Better

Facebook: I am Boycotting Warner Bros.' "Orphan" Movie

Sign petition

Orphans on New Year's

I'm writing this as an update on the Christmas thing also. I'm still not very prepared for Christmas. I've gotten lots of offers to spend Christmas with other families but I just don't want to. I hope to go to the store next weekend and get some art supplies. Just like I used to in college. At the beginning of the semester we would get a balance of $500 and be able to get lots of art supplies and books for class. New brushes, sketch books, paint and canvas. I hope next year will be much better when my friend Rachel from college is living with me and her hubby too. I ordered a few movies but I don't think any will arrive before Christmas. Oh well. I will need to get some groceries the day before or actually two days before. Last year I dyed my hair black on Christmas eve. I won't this year. I am letting my white hairs grow out. Yes black and white is my natural hair color. I started getting grey hair when I was 21.

Plan for New Year's
But we need to plan for New Year's. What would be a good New Year's resolution for an orphan? My last New Year's resolution was to listen to myself more. I never listen to myself and end up making bad decisions. I don't really know what mine will be. One way to find out what a good New Year's resolution would be is to look back at the past year and think what mistakes or regrets did you have/make? I regret not saving up more money. I guess that will be my new years resolution. Put more money in savings.

On New Year's eve I will probably eat some munchies and watch a movie. Go to bed early and when I wake up...make some artwork.

The Emergency Stash
One idea that I came up with about a year ago was an emergency stash of movies and books incase I get lonely. These are to prevent me from getting too depressed. I think you guys know what I mean. So here is what I got this year. I will tell you so maybe you can brainstorm what you want to have in your emergency stash.
Some books I got are an unread Hannibal Rising, an unread Dracula, Andy Warhol biographies, Don't Try This at Home a Dave Navarro autobiography, half-read Dark Romance: Sexuality in the Horror Film, half-read Vampire encyclopedia, half-read The Vampire Collection, unread Interview With The vampire, and a read Feng Shui Book. Yes, I love Vampires. Some movies I got are some old Bela Lugosi movies, Christopher Lee movies, Various vampire movies, Wedding Crashers, Beetlejuice, Totoro, Three KIngs, Charade, The Spy Who Shagged Me and an old classic Santa movie. Just a side note. I strongly recommend boycotting any movies having anything to do with Warner Brothers. I will be writing a post on it soon but they recently made a movie called Orphan and some adoption organizations complained and Warner didn't give a damn. If I ever do buy a Warner Brothers movie I buy it used for one cent off of Amazon.com.

Keep in mind I don't have cable so I couldn't watch the ball drop even if I wanted to. I don't really mind. It saves me money. And the radio is always on for free so I can listen to that. And there won't be anymore Christmas songs on so that should be nice. In the way of music I like a lot of stuff. If I were to buy a cd now I would get some Fat Boy Slim.

So there I hope I gave you guys some ideas of what you might like and keep your mind at ease. Keep in mind to not buy too much or over load on distractions. But do what is necessary to stay safe. I also may go visit a bookstore on New Year's Day. Look at some art magazines.

Just Orphaned

For the Newly orphaned
I have found that there are several adults that have recently been orphaned. Others have seniority and have been orphans since a young age like myself. When my one year orphan anniversary came along I was still too young to take it too hard. But now I look forward to the anniversary of my mothers death. It seems like she is closer at that time. I think she is more likely to visit at that time. Everyone had a different relationship with their parents so I can't say exactly how things will be. I don't know if things will get harder emotionally for you or easier. Personally it has gotten much harder for me. But I also think it is because of certain circumstances. Like in college it didn't hurt that much because normally my parents wouldn't have been around anyways. But now things hurt because I am out of college and more alone. When I get really sad I try to think of what may have triggered the pain. Usually I find that something subconsciously reminded me of my mom and then I became sad or irritable. Like if I heard a song that reminded me of her or maybe I ate a kind of food she used to eat all the time. Things like that. I ask "why am I all upset all of a sudden?" and then I realize its because of this or that. And it helps me understand what I am going through and why. Sometimes I will listen to an old song that she used to listen to on purpose and cry. I recommend doing this only on a day off to eliminate the risk of becoming irritable or depressed at work.

We need to come together
I think orphans need to connect at least nation-wide and help each other. Become one large family that will help all of us cope with the pain and also know that we are not alone. There are so many times when I just want to pick up the phone and call mom. Ask her a question about money or taxes, call up dad and ask about boys or how to fix a car problem. There have been times when I wanted to find a website that would act as a mother to me and give me advice and make life easier. I hope this website will be able to do that for other orphans like myself. It is terrible when I am dating a guy and I tell him I am an orphan and he laughs. Perhaps he laughs out of disbelief or maybe he just doesn't know how to react. Some people Don't know how to handle meeting a real orphan. I have always wanted to find more of my own kind. Others who wouldn't freak out when they found out that my parents are gone. I wanted to find others who knew that pain I have felt and then I knew it wasn't just me and to know that I was grieving normally. The normal people have told me to just get over it. It isn't that easy. It changes every part of your life.
And when you are orphaned at such a young age it changes how you see the world and so much more. When I find others of my own kind I feel so inspired. Like a role model for me. Ray Charles was orphaned at age 15. Dave Navarro lost his mother age age 15. Martin Short, youngest of 5, was orphaned by the age of 18. Madonna lost her mother when she was only 5 years old. Keanu Reeves lost a very good friend, a daughter, and an-ex girlfriend. And there are many more. Over 1,300 kids were orphaned by 9/11. And they never got to say good-bye. my heart goes out to them. I want to help my own kind. Over 40 million orphans in Africa because of AIDS. I care about them all and they all inspire me. They way they cope with the pain. They way they still accomplished great things. Life shouldn't be so hard for us. If humans were what they were meant to be....life would be easier. If people had understanding and compassion then it wouldn't be so bad. I remember when I was 13 and found out my mom had cancer. I thought life would be easy. I thought people would help me. I thought guys who dated me would understand and stay with me. But no. This is a terrible world. Every morning I wake up and I wonder why it had to happen this way. When ever I think about leaving this world I think "No, I must stay and change it. I need to help the others". Everyday people die. Everyday kids are put into foster homes. Everyday I wonder how can I change the world and make it better. The death of our parents has made us better people. Stronger and more compassionate. More understanding of others and their tragedies. Lets all come together.

The pain
Treat your pain like medicine. If the medicine tastes too bad and it is too strong then water it down. If the pain you feel seems overwhelming then try watching a movie that makes you laugh or read a book or work on some art. You don't have to watch movies all the time but you don't have to deal with the paint all the time. Do things that you enjoy to make life a tad easier. I always look for things that inspire me and make me laugh. Moderation in everything. Moderation in grief first of all. Then moderation in movies, books, and hobbies. We don't want you overwhelmed with grief but we also want you to cope with the pain in a healthy way. Not by drinking, drugs, food or constant distractions. But with moderate healthy activities that will keep your mind at ease. Hobbies are important. Try writing a book, paint a picture, build a table, make a movie, take some pictures at the zoo, watch your fav tv show, rent a movie, plant a garden, cut/dye your hair. These are things that are fun and somewhat productive. I think all orphans need to join Netflix. Keep in mind don't over spend when trying to cope with grief. Don't go on shopping sprees or eat a lot. The last thing you need is to be broke when you are an orphan. Instead I find ways of saving money. Like unplugging the tv and microwave when I don't use them. It saves me a lot of money. I actually don't have cable so I save money that way. I just buy movies. I also went through a time when I was into the Zen simplicity thing and donated a bunch of un-needed stuff to goodwill. My microwave stopped working and I donated that to a recycling center and just use the stove now. As long as you are alive your will be reminded of those you love and have lost...you won't just all of a sudden forget them. But remember to enjoy life. I find the holidays are sadness triggers to watch out for. Maybe you can leave a comment on what you do as a hobby and others can get some ideas.

Post your link

I hope for this to be the worlds largest database for orphan resources. Post any links to anything related to orphan resources or helping orphans in the comments.

Adult Orphans

Cancer survivors network

Adult Orphans: When Parents die

The peculiar grief of the adult orphan

Twin Towers Orphan Fund

Coping with Loss

Adult Orphan: Coping Techniques for the Adult Orphan

I will add more to this as I find more.

Surviving the Holidays

The holidays are the hardest time of the year for an orphan. It feels like you don't fit in. You’re reminded of the past.

I hope to add more to this subject soon.

I decided to start this page and type of posts because I messed up this year and am completely unprepared. You would think that after being an orphan for ten years I would know better.

Don't assume it will be easy.
You would think the holidays would be easy for an orphan. Don't have to buy any presents and just sit at home and relax. But no. You get very lonely. I suggest one needs to start getting prepared around Halloween.

Find a friend to hang out with for the holidays.
On Thanksgiving I was lonely and I realized I needed to find a friend to hang out with for Xmas but its too late. Families are busy shopping and there is no where to go to meet people. So I must stay in and resort to making artwork. Its too late to order any movies online. It will take weeks for them to ship because the holidays slow down the mail.

Plan to do something on the holidays.
I still have some movies I stocked up on last year and some books. I can text some friends long distance. And stock up on art supplies for Christmas. One year I dyed all my clothes black in Christmas eve. It didn't work to well.

Recap:
-Find friends BEFORE Thanksgiving
-stock up on movies
-stock up on books
-get some music
-plan to do something to take your mind off things.

I hope this all helps. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays my fellow orphans.
I will have more topics in the future.