I used to see that phrase once a day, 5 days a week for two school years. Two whole school years.
Where and why? It was painted as a banner in my orchestra classroom when I was in middle school (which was quite some time ago it seems). My orchestra teacher would point that out on the first day of school just as a reminder of her teaching philosophy and I think I know why now.
I started playing violin in 7th grade, I practiced as much as I could so I would get better. Of all the violins, I learned the posture, the notes, the songs we played the fastest. There was one thing I wasn't quite good at, and that was timing. My teacher would always tell me to slow down, as I tended to make everyone else speed up just so they could keep up with me. Talent? I certainly didn't have any, but I did have a desire and want to be a good violinist. By the time I was in 8th grade, I joined the Advanced orchestra of my middle school. A lot of the students in this had been playing since 4th or 5th grade (the first year you can learn to play an instrument in my school district was 4th grade, you got to play a string instrument, since violins are one of the smaller instruments a lot of kids chose that. In 5th grade you could start to learn to play a wind instrument.) Needless to say they were really good, the basses, the cellos, the violas, and the violins. They were all better than me, or so I thought.
In an orchestra the violins usually are so numerous that they are divided into 1st and 2nd violins. The 1st violins tend to play the melody of a piece and also play higher notes; it takes a good violinist to hit those notes in the upper octaves with minimal mistakes. The 2nd violins usually play the harmony and/or the melody but at lower octaves/notes. It's kind of like in a choir, there is a difference between a soprano and an alto, or a soprano and a bass. During the first week, we can sit wherever we want within our section, I usually sat somewhere in the middle of the violin section. Then we got tested on a piece of music. Again, I practiced until I got it down and could play the piece without really looking at the notes, I had memorized them. Each violin player played a few bars of the piece, I think it was the hardest section; one by one we all played, I was nervous I'm not going to lie. The next day the teacher gave us the results, the test determined who was good enough to play in the 1st violin section and all other violins got to be 2nd violins. I got to be a 1st violinist! I remember the excitement of that day and I stayed a 1st violin for the rest of the school year. One of the last chairs in the 1st violin section, but a 1st violin nonetheless!
Once I got to high school, the same thing happened with the violins, we all played a few bars of the same piece and got sorted that way. Again, this was super nerve-wracking, the violinists were all REALLY REALLY REALLY good! Some even had outside tutors to help them perfect their playing style. That and the teacher this time kept saying he expected us to play as if we were going to do this as a career, and he looked like a bulldog! Once again, I got into the 1st violin section, the second to last chair in the section. As the year went on, we played pieces that increased in level of difficulty. At some point before one of our concerts for the year, each section got tested to see if the chairs were in the correct position. From second to last chair, I got moved up to 4th chair. Chair just refers to your ranking within the section. I knew I had earned that chair, I had practiced a lot, but I was so scared of failure that I returned to my former position.
By now you're probably wondering, what does that have to do with the phrase "You are what you practice."? I would say it has to do a lot with my story of orchestra (I don't play violin on a regular basis anymore, but I can still play it, and play pieces that I spent hours practicing.) Because I practiced hard to become a good player, I got good results. I never imagined I would get to be 4th chair in the 1st violin section, especially not after playing for only 2 years. So really, I got some of the best results, the ones that I didn't think could or ever would happen.
After many years, I only though of that phrase about 3 days ago. I had finished reading How to have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People by Les Giblin and was ruminating the principles and ideas presented in the book. In fact I finished the book in one sitting on Wednesday and applied some of the principles found in that book and in Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People while shopping at my local Bath and Bodyworks shop (Buy 3 products from the signature collection, get 3 free! A genius deal!) I can tell you, I probably made an employee's day, she made a happy "squee" sound after she walked away. I BECAME a nice customer because I PRACTICED being a nice customer.
So if you practice being a gentle and caring person, you BECOME a gentle and caring person. If all you ever do to one person is beat them down with your words, then everyone else knows you ARE a mean person and they will never come ask you for help nor will you be liked by anyone. We've all heard "Practice makes perfect", but unfortunately we can never BE perfect, it's not possible!! So instead, think of "You are what you practice." If you challenge yourself to "practice" doing one kind action, then slowly, but surely, you will BECOME and be perceived as a kind person. When you "practice" being organized, orderly, and punctual, then those traits become a part of you; now you are an organized, orderly, and punctual person. Your actions illustrate who you are and whom you have become; if you change something then others will notice, especially if you start becoming likable!
Remember, you can never reach perfection, (It's like an asymptotic curve!), but you can become something really close to perfection. Whatever you do, it defines the type of person you are... and I for one, want to be a likable person, someone others go to for advice or to talk with. "I wanna be the very best..." thus I will practice becoming the very best.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Levels of Love
Yes, you read that right. "Levels of Love", though it's more like types of love.
In case you didn't know, the Greeks had three different words for the English "love"; makes English sound like a boring language doesn't it? These are eros, filia, and agape.
EROS
You've probably heard of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of passionate love which borders on lust. That is eros, a love that is passionate and when taken to extremes, becomes lustful selfishness. That's one of the types of love, the love between a couple. They desire each other, not just carnally! They want everything of the other person and the other person wants everything of the partner. It is amazing and dangerous when not controlled. If one were to pin-point it to a certain aspect of life, it would probably be best described as the love that drives sexual desire. I've never experienced this type of love, and probably won't.... at least not for the time being, that much is definite.
FILIA
Think "Philadelphia", the city of brotherly love. Filia is the love between friends and family members, the one that drives interactions between the people you see and know. This is probably the love most of us know and feel on a daily basis; the hug from your friend, a smile, someone inviting and making you dinner, there are endless ways in which to express this love. It is the concern someone shows when you have a frown, the encouragement one receives when afraid, the kindness and loyalty of friends. This is my favorite level of love! As a girl, it's really amazing to be able to have this type of love for others; it's especially helpful when you realize that you're the only female in a group of 4-5 people standing in a hallway and you KNOW that the friend zone is that love. Does that even make sense? It sounded better in my head, let me try again. Guys and gals, this is the love of the friends-zone, the love between family members.
AGAPE
This level of love is the self-sacrificing love. The love of mother and/or father to a child, the love between husband and wife (or just spouses... gotta be all proper and inoffensive nowadays) and the love God has for us. This is the level of love each of us should strive for, I know I do (especially since I have a teeny tiny desire to adopt children). You want to make someone else happy and feel loved? Ask them what you can do for them, you have no idea how appreciative the person will be; especially if you're willing to sacrifice your time for them. (Well, the reaction will depend on the person's personality, but that's another blog subject. Hahaha!) Yeah, you could go study for that midterm, or you could go hang out with a friend you haven't seen in a while and make their day by giving them cupcakes and a hug. Okay, maybe that was a little extreme, but I hope you get my point. This is known as the most rewarding type of love, for both the giver and recipient.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely a giver of filia, and am bordering agape.
So why did I decide to blog about love? Because it's a subject that permeates the relationships I have (and I don't mean dating, I mean like friendships and family). Also, I've always thought about the different kinds of love I give to others, and this is something I've been talking and thinking about since I was 12 or 13, which is roughly 7 years ago.
This is something I think about when I want (or do say) "I love you." As the Snow Patrol song says "Those three words are said too much", this is true but one must always think about which type of love we mean. Or in my case, I would only say it when I really meant it, which I don't advise in doing. Then people think you don't love them all that much or even like them, not a fun place to be now that I think about it.
So the next time someone says "I love you.", you could be witty and say "In what way?" Love, it definitely keeps our world together. Now if we could just find a way in which to differentiate between the loves in English.
Have any thoughts? Share them in a comment! :)
In case you didn't know, the Greeks had three different words for the English "love"; makes English sound like a boring language doesn't it? These are eros, filia, and agape.
EROS
You've probably heard of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of passionate love which borders on lust. That is eros, a love that is passionate and when taken to extremes, becomes lustful selfishness. That's one of the types of love, the love between a couple. They desire each other, not just carnally! They want everything of the other person and the other person wants everything of the partner. It is amazing and dangerous when not controlled. If one were to pin-point it to a certain aspect of life, it would probably be best described as the love that drives sexual desire. I've never experienced this type of love, and probably won't.... at least not for the time being, that much is definite.
FILIA
Think "Philadelphia", the city of brotherly love. Filia is the love between friends and family members, the one that drives interactions between the people you see and know. This is probably the love most of us know and feel on a daily basis; the hug from your friend, a smile, someone inviting and making you dinner, there are endless ways in which to express this love. It is the concern someone shows when you have a frown, the encouragement one receives when afraid, the kindness and loyalty of friends. This is my favorite level of love! As a girl, it's really amazing to be able to have this type of love for others; it's especially helpful when you realize that you're the only female in a group of 4-5 people standing in a hallway and you KNOW that the friend zone is that love. Does that even make sense? It sounded better in my head, let me try again. Guys and gals, this is the love of the friends-zone, the love between family members.
AGAPE
This level of love is the self-sacrificing love. The love of mother and/or father to a child, the love between husband and wife (or just spouses... gotta be all proper and inoffensive nowadays) and the love God has for us. This is the level of love each of us should strive for, I know I do (especially since I have a teeny tiny desire to adopt children). You want to make someone else happy and feel loved? Ask them what you can do for them, you have no idea how appreciative the person will be; especially if you're willing to sacrifice your time for them. (Well, the reaction will depend on the person's personality, but that's another blog subject. Hahaha!) Yeah, you could go study for that midterm, or you could go hang out with a friend you haven't seen in a while and make their day by giving them cupcakes and a hug. Okay, maybe that was a little extreme, but I hope you get my point. This is known as the most rewarding type of love, for both the giver and recipient.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely a giver of filia, and am bordering agape.
So why did I decide to blog about love? Because it's a subject that permeates the relationships I have (and I don't mean dating, I mean like friendships and family). Also, I've always thought about the different kinds of love I give to others, and this is something I've been talking and thinking about since I was 12 or 13, which is roughly 7 years ago.
This is something I think about when I want (or do say) "I love you." As the Snow Patrol song says "Those three words are said too much", this is true but one must always think about which type of love we mean. Or in my case, I would only say it when I really meant it, which I don't advise in doing. Then people think you don't love them all that much or even like them, not a fun place to be now that I think about it.
So the next time someone says "I love you.", you could be witty and say "In what way?" Love, it definitely keeps our world together. Now if we could just find a way in which to differentiate between the loves in English.
Have any thoughts? Share them in a comment! :)
Friday, October 7, 2011
Friendships, Part 1
Recently, as in about a week ago, a friend asked me what I wanted out of my college experience. (Yes I know you're going to read this.) In all honesty, I've never actually stopped to think about this, and since my 3rd year of undergraduate studies has just begun it's probably something I should be assessing (amongst other things).
In a span of about 30 minutes (maybe more, I wasn't checking the time) I could only come up with one thing: Deep and Meaningful FRIENDSHIPS.
Deep and Meaningful
I'm sure each and every one of us wants to relate to one other person, it's an innate feeling. A gut feeling. Ever hear of the saying "People need people."? You probably have.
As children, we have our circle or group of friends, and we have some best friends. We are taught to get along with others and be nice to each person. You probably have some fond childhood memories: the time you and your "bestie" went down the dirt hill on cardboard, sitting on the swings with some friends, playing with earthworms! Okay, maybe not the last one, but you probably have at least one in your memory, it's there. Then, we get to middle school, this is when we begin to find new friends, perhaps leaving old ones behind. Or maybe you move to a new school, or maybe you're blessed to be with the same people in all your classes and you all get along well. Whatever the case may be, somehow some of us tighten our circle and some expand it. For me, the circle changed big time; not only did I have to make new friends in 5th grade after moving but I also had to leave behind old friends, never to hear from them ever again.
Throughout middle school, there are petty fights (I remember them), girls starting chasing boys and some boys start to notice the changes in the girls (there's some funny stories with that), then before you know it, your friends have a "boyfriend" and they think you're weird because you don't want one. You might recall this as the time when some friendships got stronger while others began to weaken, and possibly "died" by the end of 8th grade. At the same time, new friends were made and other friends who left would forever be remembered. This was highly likely a transition period for some, I know it was for me, because once 8th grade ends, some of your friends attend a different high school because of where he or she lives. Blast those horrible district lines!
High school. Cliques. I have fond memories of high school, and the good and bad times I had with friends. I remember the plans we all had at the beginning of freshmen year, what we would do the summer after we graduated, the times we would spend together before we went to college. You probably did (or do) too. Maybe you were blessed enough to be able to follow through on those plans, and hopefully you maintained a majority of the friendships you started in middle and maybe even elementary school. If you were not, then just think about how many others have gone to the same situation as you, did you become more friendly? Or did you prefer to be reserved and alone? Either way, there are others just like you.
Here again, you might have remained friends with the same people, maybe you each branched out and formed a group of friends that were both old and new. Or maybe you only made new friends; maybe you closed the circle of friends. Whatever your case may have been, you probably realized that some of the rough times you went through, you probably have a friend to thank for helping you. Maybe you are the friend that everyone went to advice, maybe you were the one seeking advice, maybe you were the one that made everyone laugh and smile, maybe you were the one who was considered the prettiest, maybe the flirter, maybe the crazy one! Whatever your "role" was in your circle of friends, each one of you had a purpose and a reason to be in each others lives. Those friendships, when you look back at them, had MEANING in your life, at that moment it was right.
But, if your friends and friendships were like mine, somehow once senior year ended and you graduated... as time went on, it seemed like each person had different interests, you still hang out, but it doesn't feel the same. College or work has changed your schedule, you and your friends try to find a time to meet up, but can hardly find such a time. The deepness, how well you knew each other, begins to fade away, but the meaning and memories will never leave you. Those friendships helped shape whom you became as you grew up into the world of adulthood; more power to you if you can still feel that depth in your friendships the older you get!
If you're still reading, please bear with me! I swear I'm almost done.
"You'll meet your true life-long friends in college." I've heard that from several people of varying ages, but all were already in a career. You've probably heard it too; but did you ever stop to think about the truth of that statement? It certainly is disheartening, but at the same time it's exciting because you'll find people who have a very similar or very different life path to yours. The "secret" is not comparing your paths, but in understanding them; once you attempt to understand, and hopefully succeed, there is the new bond of friendship. That is when you find a new deepness, and as you journey through college and beyond together while learning to understand each other, that is when you find the friendship and companionship you've been destined to find. These are the friends I want. The ones with a path similar to mine, we will understand and face the same struggles. The ones with a different path, you will teach me something new of the world, I will teach you something of a world you've probably never seen. The ones who have a set plan for the rest of their lives, maybe we learn new strengths and strategies. The ones who are unsure, maybe I can help guide you. The ones who are clearly afraid, the ones who fear nothing, the ones who are headstrong, the ones who are stepped on, the native-born, the immigrants, the refugees. This variety of people, those are the ones who I want to forge a strong friendship with, we will learn from each other, and will hopefully look back in years to come and realize how we've grown, how we've achieved our goals..... those are the deep and meaningful friendships I want. I hope you want them too.
Is this something you want? If so, who do you want to be-friend? Have you experienced this desire and fulfilled it?
In a span of about 30 minutes (maybe more, I wasn't checking the time) I could only come up with one thing: Deep and Meaningful FRIENDSHIPS.
Deep and Meaningful
I'm sure each and every one of us wants to relate to one other person, it's an innate feeling. A gut feeling. Ever hear of the saying "People need people."? You probably have.
As children, we have our circle or group of friends, and we have some best friends. We are taught to get along with others and be nice to each person. You probably have some fond childhood memories: the time you and your "bestie" went down the dirt hill on cardboard, sitting on the swings with some friends, playing with earthworms! Okay, maybe not the last one, but you probably have at least one in your memory, it's there. Then, we get to middle school, this is when we begin to find new friends, perhaps leaving old ones behind. Or maybe you move to a new school, or maybe you're blessed to be with the same people in all your classes and you all get along well. Whatever the case may be, somehow some of us tighten our circle and some expand it. For me, the circle changed big time; not only did I have to make new friends in 5th grade after moving but I also had to leave behind old friends, never to hear from them ever again.
Throughout middle school, there are petty fights (I remember them), girls starting chasing boys and some boys start to notice the changes in the girls (there's some funny stories with that), then before you know it, your friends have a "boyfriend" and they think you're weird because you don't want one. You might recall this as the time when some friendships got stronger while others began to weaken, and possibly "died" by the end of 8th grade. At the same time, new friends were made and other friends who left would forever be remembered. This was highly likely a transition period for some, I know it was for me, because once 8th grade ends, some of your friends attend a different high school because of where he or she lives. Blast those horrible district lines!
High school. Cliques. I have fond memories of high school, and the good and bad times I had with friends. I remember the plans we all had at the beginning of freshmen year, what we would do the summer after we graduated, the times we would spend together before we went to college. You probably did (or do) too. Maybe you were blessed enough to be able to follow through on those plans, and hopefully you maintained a majority of the friendships you started in middle and maybe even elementary school. If you were not, then just think about how many others have gone to the same situation as you, did you become more friendly? Or did you prefer to be reserved and alone? Either way, there are others just like you.
Here again, you might have remained friends with the same people, maybe you each branched out and formed a group of friends that were both old and new. Or maybe you only made new friends; maybe you closed the circle of friends. Whatever your case may have been, you probably realized that some of the rough times you went through, you probably have a friend to thank for helping you. Maybe you are the friend that everyone went to advice, maybe you were the one seeking advice, maybe you were the one that made everyone laugh and smile, maybe you were the one who was considered the prettiest, maybe the flirter, maybe the crazy one! Whatever your "role" was in your circle of friends, each one of you had a purpose and a reason to be in each others lives. Those friendships, when you look back at them, had MEANING in your life, at that moment it was right.
But, if your friends and friendships were like mine, somehow once senior year ended and you graduated... as time went on, it seemed like each person had different interests, you still hang out, but it doesn't feel the same. College or work has changed your schedule, you and your friends try to find a time to meet up, but can hardly find such a time. The deepness, how well you knew each other, begins to fade away, but the meaning and memories will never leave you. Those friendships helped shape whom you became as you grew up into the world of adulthood; more power to you if you can still feel that depth in your friendships the older you get!
If you're still reading, please bear with me! I swear I'm almost done.
"You'll meet your true life-long friends in college." I've heard that from several people of varying ages, but all were already in a career. You've probably heard it too; but did you ever stop to think about the truth of that statement? It certainly is disheartening, but at the same time it's exciting because you'll find people who have a very similar or very different life path to yours. The "secret" is not comparing your paths, but in understanding them; once you attempt to understand, and hopefully succeed, there is the new bond of friendship. That is when you find a new deepness, and as you journey through college and beyond together while learning to understand each other, that is when you find the friendship and companionship you've been destined to find. These are the friends I want. The ones with a path similar to mine, we will understand and face the same struggles. The ones with a different path, you will teach me something new of the world, I will teach you something of a world you've probably never seen. The ones who have a set plan for the rest of their lives, maybe we learn new strengths and strategies. The ones who are unsure, maybe I can help guide you. The ones who are clearly afraid, the ones who fear nothing, the ones who are headstrong, the ones who are stepped on, the native-born, the immigrants, the refugees. This variety of people, those are the ones who I want to forge a strong friendship with, we will learn from each other, and will hopefully look back in years to come and realize how we've grown, how we've achieved our goals..... those are the deep and meaningful friendships I want. I hope you want them too.
Is this something you want? If so, who do you want to be-friend? Have you experienced this desire and fulfilled it?
Sunday, September 18, 2011
10 years and a week
We will never forget
Forever Changed
Changing yourself
The U.S. is supposed to be a country of guaranteed freedoms; true we are free to DISLIKE a religion if we want to do so. But to say "I don't like Muslims because they killed x amount of people through terrorism.", I believe, would be to ignore the fact that there are millions of peaceful Muslims in the world. Just as you probably don't believe that a political party (and I mean any of the political parties that are in the U.S.) portrays your beliefs or what you think the country stands for, it is also wrong to allow yourself to believe that the acts of a few radicals represent a faith community which has been around for longer than the U.S. Constitution.
I definitely believe that each and every one of us should at least learn some of the basics of any and all religions, this helps in understanding the culture and dress and customs of others. We live in a globalized world, if other children are taught about the U.S. and some of our customs, wouldn't be just as respectful to learn about other parts of the world? I think it is, and maybe this will begin to bring about peace.
Any and all comments are appreciated, but please be respectful. I understand this is a very emotionally charged subject. Your thoughts are important too.
So, it's been a week since September 11. And it's been a decade since the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.
In all honesty, I can remember what I was doing when it hit the news (I was eating breakfast and getting ready to go to school), I remember what happened at school (the teachers were all in the staff lounge watching the news, and they all looked somewhat frightened). BUT I don't believe it even phased or affected me when I was ten.If anything, the changes in policies and socio-political climate didn't really begin to affect me until I started college; although I did see some of the effects during high school. And for me, the anniversary comes and goes like any other day of the year.
Yes, it is sad that many innocent lives were lost on that day (This is the nature of war.). Yes, I am proud that this nation came together as one (Hence the saying "United we stand."). Yes, I respect the people who laid down their lives in order to protect our country and its people. But at the same time, hate emerged.
Forever Changed
One of the things that bothers me the most when the debate of the war against Iraq and Iran is brought up, is the statement along the lines of "We must get rid of the Muslim terrorists." Muslim is in bold for a good reason, this had led to a popular belief amongst the public of the U.S. that ALL Muslims are terrorists. I believe there's something wrong with that line of thought. The Bill of Rights, the 1st Amendment I believe, gives each and every U.S. Citizen the right to religious freedom; you are free to express your faith and beliefs. This is one of the best freedoms this country has; but sadly, the followers of Islam have been recipients of hate from the public. From what I remember, Islam is NOT a religion of war, or of hate.
Along with that, is the supposedly random searches at airports. I understand that these are for safety, but they're still annoying when I get checked, especially since I frequently travel from Sacramento to San Diego; for example, from 5 one-way trips to each city, I was held back 4 times. My stuff had to be scanned a couple of times once, all I had in the bag were some books and a stuffed animal. Another time I was told my sweater was "too baggy", it was cold outside! (It was raining in Sacramento, and I still wasn't fully acclimated to the cooler weather.) But I digress, some people have noticed that there is some racial profiling going on with these pat-downs and searches. That might be true, especially at the two airports I frequent; so I really hope that the "random" part is implemented and not done based on how someone looks. Just because someone looks "Middle Eastern" doesn't mean he or she is Muslim, Muslim does not equate with terrorist; and followers of Islam are found within all ethnic and racial groups throughout the world.
Changing yourself
The U.S. is supposed to be a country of guaranteed freedoms; true we are free to DISLIKE a religion if we want to do so. But to say "I don't like Muslims because they killed x amount of people through terrorism.", I believe, would be to ignore the fact that there are millions of peaceful Muslims in the world. Just as you probably don't believe that a political party (and I mean any of the political parties that are in the U.S.) portrays your beliefs or what you think the country stands for, it is also wrong to allow yourself to believe that the acts of a few radicals represent a faith community which has been around for longer than the U.S. Constitution.
I definitely believe that each and every one of us should at least learn some of the basics of any and all religions, this helps in understanding the culture and dress and customs of others. We live in a globalized world, if other children are taught about the U.S. and some of our customs, wouldn't be just as respectful to learn about other parts of the world? I think it is, and maybe this will begin to bring about peace.
Any and all comments are appreciated, but please be respectful. I understand this is a very emotionally charged subject. Your thoughts are important too.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Electricity and.... terrorism?
Yesterday, between the hours of 3 and 4 p.m the electricity (or power, whichever word you prefer) went out in most of southern California, parts of Arizona, and even down into parts of Baja California, Mexico. I don't think that has ever happened, at least not in the past twenty years or so.
First, I only found out because a friend called to ask if the power was out where I'm currently living (I was born and raised in SoCal) and I said "No. Why?" After she explained I shrugged it off as another "Oh, SoCal, your massive population has exceeded the demand for electricity, again." Power outages in SoCal are fairly common during heat waves like the one from this past week; the cause is possibly from the high usage of air conditioners.
A few hours after this call, I decided to see what the San Diego news stations had to say about this event. Some of it was the usual reporting that the power had gone out and that they would keep updating as the day wore on. The irony of this: Without electricity there is no cable or internet, televisions, laptops, and computers don't work, so how are people supposed to find out what is going on? Smoke signals, maybe? But, there was also something that really caught my attention. It was a short sentence at the end of the Fox news report I read online, but it had a much larger impact than the rest of the report. To paraphrase, this is what it said: This is not considered a terrorist attack.
This is not a terrorist attack
Wow!
Analyzing this through the lens of English (the subject, not the language), its position at the end of the report suggests one of two things 1) It's not important or 2)It's important, but we don't want you panic.
When I read that I was just SHOCKED that they would even add that thought. None of the other news sources had mentioned it. My second thought was: Why would you even THINK it was a terrorist attack? Closely followed by: "Oh yeah, it's almost the anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center towers."
It almost seems like we're expecting another attack near the anniversary of the event that shook the USA as well as the rest of the world. But cutting the power off to only part of the nation seems fairly meaningless considering it only affect a small region.True, the destruction of part of the World Trade Center was on the East Coast, but it affected the entire nation via new policies implemented in the name of safety and anti-terrorism. But at the same time, knocking out electricity points to our dependence on electricity, it's kind of a weakness.
Thankfully, though, this wasn't a terrorist attack. To expect it to be is a bit of a far-fetched idea, but since September 11, 2001 the world and the USA became more uptight about security, more suspicious of seemingly innocent events; the world's socio-political climate changed forever. Something SoCal did learn, however, was it is extremely dependent on electricity, and it probably felt like the world had ended. We are definitely blessed to have a working electrical system.
To learn more about the power outage here are some links:
This morning's
First, I only found out because a friend called to ask if the power was out where I'm currently living (I was born and raised in SoCal) and I said "No. Why?" After she explained I shrugged it off as another "Oh, SoCal, your massive population has exceeded the demand for electricity, again." Power outages in SoCal are fairly common during heat waves like the one from this past week; the cause is possibly from the high usage of air conditioners.
A few hours after this call, I decided to see what the San Diego news stations had to say about this event. Some of it was the usual reporting that the power had gone out and that they would keep updating as the day wore on. The irony of this: Without electricity there is no cable or internet, televisions, laptops, and computers don't work, so how are people supposed to find out what is going on? Smoke signals, maybe? But, there was also something that really caught my attention. It was a short sentence at the end of the Fox news report I read online, but it had a much larger impact than the rest of the report. To paraphrase, this is what it said: This is not considered a terrorist attack.
This is not a terrorist attack
Wow!
Analyzing this through the lens of English (the subject, not the language), its position at the end of the report suggests one of two things 1) It's not important or 2)It's important, but we don't want you panic.
When I read that I was just SHOCKED that they would even add that thought. None of the other news sources had mentioned it. My second thought was: Why would you even THINK it was a terrorist attack? Closely followed by: "Oh yeah, it's almost the anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center towers."
It almost seems like we're expecting another attack near the anniversary of the event that shook the USA as well as the rest of the world. But cutting the power off to only part of the nation seems fairly meaningless considering it only affect a small region.True, the destruction of part of the World Trade Center was on the East Coast, but it affected the entire nation via new policies implemented in the name of safety and anti-terrorism. But at the same time, knocking out electricity points to our dependence on electricity, it's kind of a weakness.
Thankfully, though, this wasn't a terrorist attack. To expect it to be is a bit of a far-fetched idea, but since September 11, 2001 the world and the USA became more uptight about security, more suspicious of seemingly innocent events; the world's socio-political climate changed forever. Something SoCal did learn, however, was it is extremely dependent on electricity, and it probably felt like the world had ended. We are definitely blessed to have a working electrical system.
To learn more about the power outage here are some links:
This morning's
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Cutting, Suicide, and Pain
Over the past few weeks, I've spent some of my "free time" reading posts on the DeviantArt Secret page. I noticed many of the secrets were about the contemplation of suicide and of cutting and that made me think about how my life had been up to this point and about the people who have been a part of my life.
One thing I want to put out there, I'm now 20 and I think my life is great. But I didn't always feel this way, between the ages of 13 and 14 I went through a period of a deep sadness. I never cut, but I did think about suicide sometimes. [To the Secret Tellers on dA: I hope one day you look back like I have done, and realize what you could have missed out on had you decided to end it all.]I think the feeling intensified right after an online friend of mine from RuneScape decided to take his own life. I never met him, and probably never would have, but that didn't stop me from feeling sad.
But that's not all that I thought of.
I realized that suicide rates are fairly high amongst teenagers. Why? First of all, the time from when we hit puberty until about the mid-20s are quite possibly some of the most trying times for all of us as people. Our bodies begin to change through hormonal cascades and we begin to notices changes in the bodies of others. Each one of us begins to feel the pressure of questions such as: "What am I going to do with the rest of my life?", "Who do I want to be?". (Or one could not, that's also possible.) Societal pressure seems to increase tenfold; as teenagers we wanted to be treated as adults, but we're still viewed as kids. The world becomes this GIANT, SCARY MONSTER! So what does all of this have to do with suicide? Well, while there is the biological changes there are also psychological changes. As I said earlier, these are difficult times for each one of us; this is when one begins to probably feel alone. As if no one else in the world understands what YOU are going through, not your parents, not your best friend, no one. Okay, got it? No matter how hard you try, no one else UNDERSTANDS. That is the mentality many of us had (or still have). If you didn't, then more power to ya!
This "alone" mentality is very powerful. It envelops all thinking and leaves very little room for hope. The alone mentality also makes one think that the PAIN you feel, no one else could possibly UNDERSTAND, no one else can possibly feel the same way you feel. But, the truth is someone else DOES understand. The pain that you're feeling, someone else has most likely gone through it. Someone else out there probably does feel the same way you feel. There is no need to feel like you're going through this life alone. Someone somewhere has gone through a situation almost exactly, or very similarly, to yours.
Well, that's fine and dandy. But what does this have to do with suicide and cutting?
Pain. Each of us feels it, experiences it, and it's highly likely you dislike it. And just reading the word itself probably made you feel it or remember a time when that's what you felt. I bring this word up because I believe it is THE main reason for both acts.
I've come to the conclusion that some people cut because they feel better afterward. Surely physical pain doesn't feel great, so why would anyone in their right mind purposefully inflict pain on his or herself? Because the emotional baggage hurts more than the physical act. At least that's what I've gathered from different reading materials and testimonies from friends. EMOTIONAL PAIN, that is what hurts more than the physical pain. How can this be? Emotions are a part of being human. They set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom.
I reached another thought, the one that spurred me write this blog. I've lived in the United States of America (in the Southwest to be more specific) all my life and the mentioning of sadness or loneliness or unhappiness is practically taboo. It's almost never mentioned; unless you talk to people in the field of psychology and psychiatry. As a society, I feel like we're never told that it's OKAY to feel sad, it's OKAY to feel a little lonely sometimes, it's OKAY to be unhappy. That those feelings are NORMAL, you're not a freak, you're not odd; of course they are normal to an extent, but that is a subject for another time. By cutting you are not showing how "tough" or strong you are, because it won't ever take away the larger reason for the pain. It's like putting a band-aid on a snake bite, it won't be helpful for very long. That same line of thinking, I believe, can be applied to suicide; you'll never know just how STRONG you will be when you walk out of the fire.
So, dear reader, what I really wanted to say with all of that is:
As this is my first blog, any constructive criticisms are welcomed as are your thoughts in response to what has been said.
One thing I want to put out there, I'm now 20 and I think my life is great. But I didn't always feel this way, between the ages of 13 and 14 I went through a period of a deep sadness. I never cut, but I did think about suicide sometimes. [To the Secret Tellers on dA: I hope one day you look back like I have done, and realize what you could have missed out on had you decided to end it all.]I think the feeling intensified right after an online friend of mine from RuneScape decided to take his own life. I never met him, and probably never would have, but that didn't stop me from feeling sad.
But that's not all that I thought of.
I realized that suicide rates are fairly high amongst teenagers. Why? First of all, the time from when we hit puberty until about the mid-20s are quite possibly some of the most trying times for all of us as people. Our bodies begin to change through hormonal cascades and we begin to notices changes in the bodies of others. Each one of us begins to feel the pressure of questions such as: "What am I going to do with the rest of my life?", "Who do I want to be?". (Or one could not, that's also possible.) Societal pressure seems to increase tenfold; as teenagers we wanted to be treated as adults, but we're still viewed as kids. The world becomes this GIANT, SCARY MONSTER! So what does all of this have to do with suicide? Well, while there is the biological changes there are also psychological changes. As I said earlier, these are difficult times for each one of us; this is when one begins to probably feel alone. As if no one else in the world understands what YOU are going through, not your parents, not your best friend, no one. Okay, got it? No matter how hard you try, no one else UNDERSTANDS. That is the mentality many of us had (or still have). If you didn't, then more power to ya!
This "alone" mentality is very powerful. It envelops all thinking and leaves very little room for hope. The alone mentality also makes one think that the PAIN you feel, no one else could possibly UNDERSTAND, no one else can possibly feel the same way you feel. But, the truth is someone else DOES understand. The pain that you're feeling, someone else has most likely gone through it. Someone else out there probably does feel the same way you feel. There is no need to feel like you're going through this life alone. Someone somewhere has gone through a situation almost exactly, or very similarly, to yours.
Well, that's fine and dandy. But what does this have to do with suicide and cutting?
Pain. Each of us feels it, experiences it, and it's highly likely you dislike it. And just reading the word itself probably made you feel it or remember a time when that's what you felt. I bring this word up because I believe it is THE main reason for both acts.
I've come to the conclusion that some people cut because they feel better afterward. Surely physical pain doesn't feel great, so why would anyone in their right mind purposefully inflict pain on his or herself? Because the emotional baggage hurts more than the physical act. At least that's what I've gathered from different reading materials and testimonies from friends. EMOTIONAL PAIN, that is what hurts more than the physical pain. How can this be? Emotions are a part of being human. They set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom.
I reached another thought, the one that spurred me write this blog. I've lived in the United States of America (in the Southwest to be more specific) all my life and the mentioning of sadness or loneliness or unhappiness is practically taboo. It's almost never mentioned; unless you talk to people in the field of psychology and psychiatry. As a society, I feel like we're never told that it's OKAY to feel sad, it's OKAY to feel a little lonely sometimes, it's OKAY to be unhappy. That those feelings are NORMAL, you're not a freak, you're not odd; of course they are normal to an extent, but that is a subject for another time. By cutting you are not showing how "tough" or strong you are, because it won't ever take away the larger reason for the pain. It's like putting a band-aid on a snake bite, it won't be helpful for very long. That same line of thinking, I believe, can be applied to suicide; you'll never know just how STRONG you will be when you walk out of the fire.
So, dear reader, what I really wanted to say with all of that is:
- The loneliness you feel, the hopelessness you feel, the sadness, the pain, each person has felt that. It is a normal part of growing as a person, it is a normal part of being human.
- Whether you want to believe it or not, someone out there cares about YOUR life. And you probably care about someone else's life. (It's why we have friends, right?)
- "You're braver than you think."
As this is my first blog, any constructive criticisms are welcomed as are your thoughts in response to what has been said.
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