Melting Pot

America is a "melting pot" as Jean de Crévecoevr so elequently put it. Americans are all different, yet all one. But I really wonder how different people in America are. We say we value pretty much the same stuff. We actually value pretty much the same stuff. We are all competitive and willing to go to great lenghts to win. We all want recognition for our actions. We all want money. We're talking about scarcity in school. The teacher asked us (as Americans in general) what we would rather do with out money: feed the hungry or buy a new car? What would you do? We don't see the starving first hand, so do we really have to send them money? Why? I don't know. I think we are surrounded by a selfish society. I'm not saying that everyone is selfish, and selfish may be too strong of a word, but I don't think there is a lot of differences between us. Yet, I also don't really think we're one. I would actually say we're a pretty divided country. We don't really support the president. We don't support each other. We divide on important issues. I don't know what else to say. What is becoming of this so called "melting pot?"

Anniversary

You may or may not know that thirty two years ago today something very influential happened. It may have changed the coarse of human events forever. It was one decision, made by the U. S. Supreme Court that legalized abortion. This decision still causes controversy, and probably will forever. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I for one don't see how anyone can agree with the decision to legalize murder. It's going beyond freedom. If we were free to go around killing people because we didn't really want them around...well, I would be a little scared. There are those of you out there that say that killing an unborn child isn't murder, but to you I say how can it not be? You're ending what could have been a wonderful life. The child that has just been ruthlessly murdered could have grown up to cure cancer, or found a way to live on Mars, and even if they didn't, what gives you the right to decide whether or not they should live? I think that if God didn't want the child to live, he would have found his own way to end their life. If you decide to kill a child you're playing God, and that's not your job. About 126,000 abortions occur everyday. That's 45 times the amount of people killed in the 9/11 attacks. Why doesn't everyone just take a step back and think about what life actually means.

Contagious

I think stress is. Really. I'm pretty laid back, I don't get to worked up about too many things. I have a busy life, but who dosen't? It's no reason to "get my knickers in a twist" like they say in England. Except that its finals time at my school, so everyone is stressed out. The teachers, the students, the parents who have to deal with their over-tired kids. Now, you may say 'why stress out about some dumb tests...it's not like it will make a break your grade.' I completly agree with you, except that it's harder than it sounds. A girl in my Spanish class almost started crying the other day becuase she was so stressed. Up until a few days ago I hadn't even thought about finals, but now, as I type this, I look at the clock and think to myself 'I should be in bed, I have finals tomorrow.' The only reason I'm thinking that is because the people around me are very tense and nervous and they have rubbed off on me, so now I'm stressed. Life would be easier without stress, I think. No pressure, right? Except then I think, with no pressure there would be no competition and with out competition no one would strive to be thier best. They would settle for what they are without even trying to be better. So I guess stress and pressure are good things, but I wish they didn't make everyone so uptight and crabby.

Hidden Agenda

Okay, here's the deal. Does everyone have a hidden agenda? Are they really who they seem to be, or do they pretend to be someone they're not because they want something. They teach you things in school, but is what you learn the truth, or just what they want you to believe? This sounds like a conspiracy but how can you tell what's the truth and what's made up? You've been told your intire life that something is without a doubt true, but what if it's not? They only told you it was true because they wanted you to believe it so that you'd be on their side. Politics are a good example. They want your vote, so they tell you what you want to here, and you believe them, because they're good at what they do. The government uses the media as a tool of they're control. The media passes on to you news of what's happening with in the government, or rather, the media passes on the news that the government wants you to know, so you won't think they're as bad as they really are. It's not even only with government. It's with everything. If someone says something with conviction and a few "statistics" you're bound to believe them. You're none the wiser, how are you supposed know. All you have to go on is a little blind faith. Pretty soon the thin line between what's true and false will be completly erased and you wont know who to trust or what to believe.

Monotonous

I recently realized how high school is always the same. I walk through the same old doors in the morning, down the same dull gray hallways, past the same people, to the same unstimulating classes everyday. Nothing changes. The only reason it is even worth going is the few hallway conversations with my friends and the fact that if I don’t go it will be significantly harder to get a job so I can live on in this monotonous world. I came to this discovery when I went to the elementary school to teach the kindergarteners Spanish. The first noticeable difference between there and Monotonville is the color. The hallways are decorated with student artwork and it is all very cheery. The classrooms are also very colorful. The kids get to play with Lego’s, they play dress up, and they finger-paint! They can take naps, they get a snack break, and recess. It would be nice to be able to sleep undisturbed again during school. To top it off, the kids are innocent. They don’t know what the world is like. Once they hit middle school, they’ll be in for a surprise. It would be nice if kids could just stay little forever and not have to worry about growing up and dealing with the same old stuff.

Si-lence (noun): the absence or lack of noise

I heard it, for the first time ever, I think. Have you ever noticed that you never hear it? There is always something. For me its the birds outside, the furnace kicking in, a radio, the list could go on forever. But last night I heard it, or rather, I didn't. It was beautiful. It lasted about a minute. I was laying in bed and at first I didn't even realize what was happening. Silence is different than I imagined it would be. I think my mind was trying to make up for the lack of sound by making me think I heard things. My ears started to ring, kind of. It was scary, but also really cool. I enjoyed it for a little while, but alas, the perfectness was shattered by a passing car. I wish I could hear it more often. Even when I am sitting alone outside in the woods, its easy to think that I'm the last person in the world becuase there are no man made sounds, but the animals make noise constantly. I guess though, in a way, if I heard to much silence I might start to go crazy thinking that the world ended or something. Still, it would be nice to hear more of...don't you think?

The road goes ever on and on

This is a cool poem.

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Persuing it with wary feet,

Until it joins some larger way,

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

-J.R.R. Tolkien

First

Ok, this is my first post. I'm kinda bored, so this is what I did. School got called off because it's too cold to go out side. -20 something with the windchill. Brrr. My brother got a rabbit for Christmas and the water keeps freezing, even though he had a water thing that is supposed to keep it from freezing. We have finals next week, but it shouldn't be too bad. I'm only worried about Español.