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Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a nonsensical and cultish science fiction novel with the main premise about an ordinary guy adapting to many extraordinary situations that would for most people, end up in tragedy or death. How the two main characters, Ford and Arthur, were able to avoid most unfortunate circumstances through the motto of “Don’t Panic”, is catchy, yet irritating for me. Before I went through my own personal hell, I would have loved this idea as I was able to adapt all around the world, for the most part, in my travels; but after my PTSD and Panic Disorder diagnosis, I am left feeling annoyed. To be honest, I have more in common with Marvin, the chronically depressed robot (with a brain the size of a planet) because I am often left to do mundane, pointless jobs when really I could do so much more; however, due to certain disabilities, I am limited in my capacity to function well in this stressful society and left in my own imagination of better worlds to live in.
A fact from the book that I really relate to: You can understand that an alien sent to study life on Earth would think cars were the dominant life-form. I have a hard time driving now and always wonder to myself, “where are all these people going?” And when I am flustered by all the cars while walking down my busy street, “where are all the people?”.
I like the idea of being outside of one’s comfort zone, since that is me most of the time, and observing like I am on a different planet. I most often feel like an alien on an alien planet.
I am amazed by Douglas Adams ability to predict many of the future (now current) technologies. Wikipedia is one of my favorite online reading forums, so in a sense, the HG2G book is something I can relate to. I like facts and I appreciate them being referenced.
Overall, there are many eccentric and outlandish commentaries in the book that I can agree with, through my own life learnings. That if you ever discover why the universe is here, it could be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. It’s like the more I learn and grow, really, the less I know.
Yes, the number 42 is everywhere. I find the number 133 constantly in my life.
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In regards to the book’s relation to this class, I understand the connection on a multitude of levels: entering a new territory of learning with heaps of information, not enough time to process, need to quickly implement/complete/submit, and numerous challenges to be faced. Yet, to take it with ease and not worry (Don’t Panic) is the best strategy to embrace because usually it all works out alright. But for me, that takes a lot of control out of my hands, which I don’t like to be in that state anymore, due to too many adverse experiences and it affects my nervous system in every minute way. I still remind myself to calm down, but I want to avoid these types of activities if I can nowadays.
Being autistic is like my own alien culture and it’s hard to relate to the normal/typical way. Fortunately, with the worldwide web, more and more people like me are being connected and forming shared living experiences. We can now exchange in a culture that we are comfortable with. All thanks to the internet and technology!
A fact from the book that I really relate to: You can understand that an alien sent to study life on Earth would think cars were the dominant life-form. I have a hard time driving now and always wonder to myself, “where are all these people going?” And when I am flustered by all the cars while walking down my busy street, “where are all the people?”.
I like the idea of being outside of one’s comfort zone, since that is me most of the time, and observing like I am on a different planet. I most often feel like an alien on an alien planet.
I am amazed by Douglas Adams ability to predict many of the future (now current) technologies. Wikipedia is one of my favorite online reading forums, so in a sense, the HG2G book is something I can relate to. I like facts and I appreciate them being referenced.
Overall, there are many eccentric and outlandish commentaries in the book that I can agree with, through my own life learnings. That if you ever discover why the universe is here, it could be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. It’s like the more I learn and grow, really, the less I know.
Yes, the number 42 is everywhere. I find the number 133 constantly in my life.
—--
In regards to the book’s relation to this class, I understand the connection on a multitude of levels: entering a new territory of learning with heaps of information, not enough time to process, need to quickly implement/complete/submit, and numerous challenges to be faced. Yet, to take it with ease and not worry (Don’t Panic) is the best strategy to embrace because usually it all works out alright. But for me, that takes a lot of control out of my hands, which I don’t like to be in that state anymore, due to too many adverse experiences and it affects my nervous system in every minute way. I still remind myself to calm down, but I want to avoid these types of activities if I can nowadays.
Being autistic is like my own alien culture and it’s hard to relate to the normal/typical way. Fortunately, with the worldwide web, more and more people like me are being connected and forming shared living experiences. We can now exchange in a culture that we are comfortable with. All thanks to the internet and technology!