8.4 Buz Takes Something For The System

Jesus Christ I just finished it. That ending was pure, straight discomfort. Or as the landlord would say:

Oh. Um. Well. Yeah. That. Well. Okay… Have a good day.

The cringe was strong in that periscope. What’s to be gained with a move like this? What’s the lesson? I can’t see anything positive that could come out of stealing someone’s house plant. All it did was create tension between Buz and his landlord.

SO incredibly awkward… but bravo… well done. You made everyone very uncomfortable

I am very confused as to why this was a necessary task. To make Buz feel bad?

@izryn This isn’t supposed to be about positivity, it’s about having power, and now @thebuz has something that was once someone else’s and now it is his. He took it. Because he wanted it.

@bcbishop I just saw your thing. That could definitely be a lesson because most people aren’t used to people doing whatever the fuck they want.

@thebuz Suuuuper awkward. That felt icky just to watch.

The task was to take, not to keep. It’s probably not a great idea to piss off yer landlord. I don’t care if Noah was bored. You took risks, whatever happens to the plant, those are yours now.

Also, plants! Heh!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by Winston Smith.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by Winston Smith.

@shankfx22 @izryn Yeah, he’s got the power, but he feels really weird about it. We’ll see what Noah said, but I wonder if part of the task is overcoming that feeling that @thebuz currently has.

I agree with @bcbishop. I think that’s the lesson.

Taking something requires dominance, without that it’s just stealing.

So when do we take from The OSDM?

So I received this task from Noah to take something from a friend/neighbor/stranger. I went with my landlord, who is also an immersive theater guy and I was praying to sweet baby Jesus that he’d put it together that this had something to do with it. I don’t think he did. Here’s our correspondence before the periscope.

And then after I took his plant.

Shortly after arriving back to my apartment and setting the plant up in my patio Noah called me.

Noah: “Wellll done, my friend. Well done. Your guy was a good sport.”
Buz: “Yeah do I get to give him his plant back now and explain this shit?”
Noah: “Do this, go back, give him his plant back, and explain everything. Now you both know how easy this is. Oh fuck… shit… I gotta go. Okay bye.”

Never in this experience has Noah (let alone anyone) ever said bye to me. I found that.. odd. I didn’t hear a ruffling or anything like that so either he saw something or another more important call was coming in.

But it was nice I gotta a goodbye.

So I gave Tad back his plant and explained everything. His exact words were “Oh thank christ.”

Now I need to dry off my clothes because I am soaked in sweat. That was the most cringe inducing experience I’ve ever had. But not going to lie, it was exhilarating.

@shankfx22 Sure, power in the short term. But now all Buz has to show for it is a plant and a strained friendship. There aren’t any long-term benefits to such a move. Do things like that often enough and people will refuse to play ball, and then where will you be? Bus only got away with it because Tad gave him the benefit of the doubt. It won’t happen again.

@izryn

Or perhaps I got away with it because I utilized the tools I have been gifted. Charm can get you pretty damn far in life. You can get anything if you act like it belongs to you, or get in anywhere if you act like you’re supposed to be there.

They knew I could pull this off. And I did. Awkward maybe, but I fucking did it.

And also I trusted Noah that he wouldn’t fuck me over in the long run. That’s what this is all about right? He trusted me that I wouldn’t go too far, and I trusted him that they wouldn’t push me too far.

The sapling shit had me dying.

“Maybe if you just want to get a sapling and you can bring it back…?”
-“Oh I can bring you a sapling back”
“Uh okay, yea sure”

Lalalalalaaaaates

@thebuz I am glad that you were able to explain things to your friend/landlord.

I think this may come to serve as an advisory tale of sorts. Power and making dominant decisions can be exhilarating and terrifying and amazing, but at what cost? Even worse, what happens when that feeling fades and we commit further acts that intensify that feeling again?

Just something to think about…

All I can say is that I trusted the situation would end in my favor.

That being said, Noah is going to be buying me a drink in the future.

True respect to @thebuz for pulling that off so well. While it was less emotionally stimulating than some of the other tasks (which I can appreciate for their rarity) I think it’s challenging to find something that’s this nerve-racking for you 😛

@kevin Sure he feels weird about it, but he also said it was exhilarating… So we will see which feeling he holds onto more to determine whether he continues to take what is is his or not

The lesson seems obvious: if you want something, take it. It’s just a literal representation of everything The System teaches.

Here’s the thing — a guy who shakes a martini that way does not deserve to have any plants.

And CERTAINLY not any succulents.

In other news, the city attorney has just issued an arrest warrant for Buz for petty theft.

At least it’s shaken, not stirred.

Technically, there is absolutely no need to shake a martini. Only drinks containing syrups and/or juices (ingredients which require agitation to be thoroughly incorporated) should be shaken.

Hm. Interesting .

You are brave, Buz! Glad you got to give the plant back and fix things with your landlord. I’m sure he understands now that you’ve explained it to him.

I laughed so hard at the cringeworthiness!!! good on ya, Buz. I’m glad you got to give the plant back, though.