Monthly Archives: January 2013

Say What?

This semester, I’m going to focus this blog on challenging the way we think – be that in how we label, things we assume to be true, or just perspectives we may not have considered.

Last semester I blogged about existentialism, which I really liked, but it was pretty limiting. I’m hoping that by opening the topic up a little I can explore some things I was constricted with before.

This week though, since it’s the first post, I’m just going to give you some examples of where I’m going with this, because I’m sure some of you aren’t too clear on that right now.

1. We’re taught that a happy, successful life proceeds as follows: Do well in grade school, go to college, get a degree (maybe more than one), get a job, get married have kid(s), and raise them to do the same. Have you ever considered if there are other good, viable options?

2. We label literally everything. Friends or Best Friends? A fling or a relationship? Is it a date or are we just hanging out? Hipster or unique? A good person or a bad person? But why do we feel the need to do this?

3. Speaking of labels, who ever got to decide what was moral and what wasn’t, or what made a person good or bad? Let’s consider this a little, why does following the rules make someone a “better” person than someone who doesn’t?

4. Now we’re going to get deep – what’s the meaning of life? Does life have meaning? There’s a lot of different theories on this – most of you probably have some concept of purpose or meaning, but sometimes it’s good to revisit this question. I know my answer tends to change over time.

Essentially, I’m just going to be giving you all some food for thought.

Hopefully you end up getting something out of this – if you have any suggestions/questions, please please please just post them. I’d love to hear what you guys have to say/anything YOU think more people should be exposed to/think about.

Deliberation, Deliberation.

I decided to join the conversation on a Huffington Post article called “Don’t write men off just yet,”

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peggy-drexler/dont-write-men-off-just-y_b_2575031.html?show_comment_id=226377687#comment_226377687)

dealing with changing gender roles of men and women. I picked this particular article because it had a lively conversation going, ranging from the avidly feminist to the staunchly old-fashioned.

I found that both sides had the tendency to go a bit overboard – the traditionally-minded claiming that working mothers are the cause of the decline of the modern family, and the vehemently feminist attacking the article for reinforcing stereotypes by acknowledging them.

Here’s a couple of the posts I found interesting:

“It’s a shame nowadays in many families that both parents need to work in order to live and pay high taxes. This causes more women to enter the work force and is part of the reason why there are more in the workforce. When children are involved I believe it is best, if possible, to have one parent home to care for the children. My wife has worked at daycares and keeps telling me kids don’t always get the attention they need. Traditionally women have taken the role of taking care of the children … I realize that the role are reversed in some cases. I understand that women want to enter the workforce but when children are involved someone needs to do the right thing and look after the kids … be that the man or woman. In most cases the man makes more … that means the man provides and the woman cares for the children. If money is not an issue this is how it should be. Women should not thought less of for taking care of children and should not be thought revolutionary when they place their career ahead of family. Society today is suffering because the upbringing of families have been affected whether it be added income needed or career aspirations of either of the parents”

and

You realize that by focusing so much on mens’ earning power that you’re reinforcing negative gender stereotypes about women?”

Of course, there were plenty of good points out there too – on both sides. And it’s interesting to see people actually debating the issue at hand: Are men declining as women rise? Or are we simply reaching equality?

The biggest issue I’ve seen with the deliberation here is that too many posts deviate from the main point – it’s not a question of whether or not women SHOULD work, it’s a question of whether or not the rise of educated, successful, empowered women is causing the decline of male power.

This I Believe Rough Draft

My brother is at that age. You know what I mean – that age where he’s too cool for emotion, too embarrassed to hug his sister, too unaffected to get excited over a christmas present. From the moment he entered middle school he copped this too-cool-for-school attitude; I guess it was his way of asserting to the rest of us that he’s not a kid anymore.

But last year, that broke down for a moment, when he road in an airplane for the first time. It was as the plane started rolling down the runway that my brother forgot to keep his cool. His eyes began to widen as he pointed at ground out the window; his voice rose with excitement, and he tugged on my sleeve to “Look, Kaitlyn! Look!” as the brown grass disappeared faster and faster out the small window pane.

The moment the sound of wheels on pavement faded away, my brother clenched my arm with one hand and his armrest with the other, and squealed as the plane made it’s way into the air.

“Look, Kaitlyn!” he continued to tell me, still pointing down at the ground, “how high up do you think we are? I think it must be miles and miles.” I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. After so long of seeing nothing but his too-cool facade, I was finally seeing the real Luke. It was something like magic.

I believe in first times – first time riding a plane, first time driving a car, first time seeing snow, traveling to another country – whatever it may be, there’s something raw and innocent about firsts. There’s a certain lack of expectation or assumption that manages to pull the latent child from adults and ignite the unadulterated excitement and passion of little kids. I believe in that innocence, in the magic of that moment when the sheer new-ness of something is enough to tear down the thickest defenses, if only for a second. It’s enough to remind us that we’re all human, all connected, all with the same basic desires and needs. It’s too easy to forget that sometimes – so I believe in the moments that remind us. If you’ve ever seen a child ride an airplane for the first time, there is something magical and inspiring in the way they can’t pull their eyes from the window, in their gasps of excitement and the way they point to every single object as it passes by, how their eyes are as large as eyes can be and their voices quick with excitement. It’s that innocence that can restore faith in humanity when everyone you meet seems jaded, broken, or cruel, a society of drones unwilling or unable to show emotion of any kind. It’s that excitement that reminds us what it’s like to really feel something. I believe in the magic of first times.

WIP – Civic Issues Blog/This I Believe

For my Civic Issue blog, I definitely want to do Gender, Sexuality, and Rights. To the more specific end, I’m not 100% sure what I want to talk about… possibly Media effects on gender and sexuality.

Now I’m awkwardly going to transition into my credo. And by “awkwardly transition” I mean there isn’t a transition at all. (Also, this is really rough).

I believe in first times – first time riding a plane, first time driving a car, first time seeing snow, traveling to another country – whatever it may be, there’s something raw and innocent about firsts. There’s a certain lack of expectation or assumption that manages to pull the latent child from adults and ignite the unadulterated excitement and passion of little kids. I believe in that innocence, in the magic of that moment when the sheer new-ness of something is enough to tear down the thickest defenses, if only for a second. It’s enough to remind us that we’re all human, all connected, all with the same basic desires and needs. It’s too easy to forget that sometimes – so I believe in the moments that remind us. If you’ve ever seen a child ride an airplane for the first time, there is something magical and inspiring in the way they can’t pull their eyes from the window, in their gasps of excitement and the way they point to every single object as it passes by, how their eyes are as large as eyes can be and their voices quick with excitement. It’s that innocence that can restore faith in humanity when everyone you meet seems jaded, broken, or cruel, a society of drones unwilling or unable to show emotion of any kind. It’s that excitement that reminds us what it’s like to really feel something. I believe in the magic of first times.

 

Anyway, for my TIB I’m considering a few topics:

– First times (I’d use a story about my brother riding an airplane for the first time…I would have started it for this but I wanted to make the credo more general)

– Questioning everything (the idea of true personal freedom and questioning societal norms and the power that gives you)

-Complete Breakdowns (the way they cleanse you and allow for a release you weren’t expecting)

– Awkward People (how they tend to be the realest, most genuine people you will ever meet)