Hello Peeps!

GothicGremlin

Ha! What is goth? It's a question that's kind of difficult to answer. People write books about this topic, but I'll try to distill it down as best I can.

I've never seen NCIS so I don't know Abby, but I looked at a couple of youtube videos about her, and she seems fairly representative to me. I also found a youtube setlist called "Abby's Lab Music" - which, if they actually used these songs on the tv show - good for them! Plus, I love Collide - Wings of Steel is a great song - very ethereal goth.

Three principles/common values -

1. It's a state of being, and I think you either are, or you aren't. If you are, it's not a phase that you grow out of. I was a goth by age 6 or 7, but I just didn't have the words for it. As a child, when I saw The Addams Family for the first time, I immediately recognized the character of Wednesday Addams as one of my kind.

2. We find beauty, serenity, and inspiration in the darker things - cemeteries with overgrown trees and off-kilter tombstones, tragic love/revenge books and movies (The Crow comes to mind), and of course art and music. I've always been drawn to those things, and I think if you other goths, they'd say the same.

3. We tended to be the weird geeky kids in school, now we're the weird geeky adults. Elder goths, like me, tend to be professional people, and most older goths that I know are computer scientists, doctors, professors, lawyers, writers, and artists of some variety. I certainly fall into one of those categories.

And I just have to say it -- here's what we aren't -- we aren't depressed, we're not cultists, satanists, vampire wannabes, violent, etc. Most of us, me included, are pretty friendly and accepting of others. I've even been described as having a "sunny" personality (which I hate, but which is probably an accurate description).

All of that said, we're not a monolithic culture, everyone is different, so you'll find a wide variety of people who are goths.

Hopefully I've given a good nutshell.

lizziepooh wrote:

GothicGremlin wrote:

I also am of the view that this place needs to be cultivated, it truly has been a lifesaver.  I'm not really sure how to "cultivate" though - maybe somehow through the "Musings" forum? We all have dementia in common, but we probably all have happier things in common too. 

I think we cultivate by just getting to know each other whichever forum that may be.

Like, I have always wanted to ask you about Goths so I ask you now. What does being Goth mean? If you had to distill it down to three principles or less, what would the common values be amongst Goth? Besides you and Abby from NCIS, I never met a goth so I have questions. Lol!

What does Goth mean? Besides clothes or appearance since I can see those, what defines Goth? Just wondering…

Stuck in the middle

DW loves NCIS, so I know Abby as if we went to school together.  Abby denies being Goth, although she fits your description to a tee.  The black makeup and spider web tattoo are just because she likes them.  It's OK by me.  If people want to wear bones in their noses, I just hope the bones are tasteful.

IDrive3

Hi, All!

I'm JJ.  I've been learning - lurking sounds so negative - for a few years now.  I don't remember how I learned about the site.  I'm very grateful to everyone who shares their story.  And my condolences to everyone who has lost or is losing their person.  

I like to quilt, but haven't had time since my sister's diagnosis.  The only sewing I've done is making face masks for the family.  I have quite a collection!

I'm glad we have this place to share and learn and sometimes laugh!  I wish I could change my screen name without totally starting over.  (Has anyone else deliberated for a long time about what to use, and then immediately not like it?  Screen name remorse?)  Part of the problem is I no longer drive 3 - unless I count myself as one of the 3 - since my Dad died last year.  I wish I had a screen name more like yours, QuiltingBringsCalm!

I strive to be resilient like the pansies in snow that I selected for my picture.  Not always successful.