Readers! It's been a couple of weeks. I hope you are all doing well. It once again is Friday. And I couldn't be happier it is. In this past week or so, I was reminded again that life, the wild ride it is, is short. So, the thing to take away from this: never take the people in your life, especially your family, for granted and let yourself "live" a little once in a while.
Well, school is almost here again. Part of me will welcome the routine again, but the other part of me will not welcome the busyness and craziness that comes with school, classes, studying, work, ex-curricular clubs, among other obligations, especially with it being the start of my second semester of junior year. I need to figuring out what jobs I would like and start looking for jobs.
I'm sorry to my readers that I have not updated in a couple of weeks. My life is increasingly busy with balancing two jobs, five classes, homework and reading, organizations, and other things. I hardly have time to breath, let alone trying to write a blog post. Then I guess I will have to change. I will try to keep posting every Friday; but, on the off chance I get super busy and forget, please know I will update as soon as I can. Your patience is much needed as I navigate the new changes and challenges presented to me due to getting older and closer to graduation.
That being said, I've had many blog post ideas run in and out of my head. Today, I would like to talk about the difference between "looking" and "seeing" and connecting it to the tragedy that happened 15 years ago. As I take my digital imaging class, I'm learning that there's a different between looking at something and actually seeing it. So often we go through our day just looking. If I asked you to describe the person you passed while walking to class or running by, could you? More often than not, you wouldn't be able too. And there's nothing wrong with that. You are likely preoccupied with your task at hand, and your brain can only recognize so much too avoid overloading your senses. Seeing takes a little bit more time and energy. With taking the time to slow down and really take in your surrounds, even if for a couple of minutes, you would be surprised just how much you've missed or never noticed before.
Now, how does this apply or have anything to do with the tragic events that happened 15 years ago today. What usually happens it takes a tragic event or hearing devastating news to get to us to wake up and take notice of our surroundings. You know how it's said it's hard to look away at car crash even though you know you need to but just can't bring yourself to do it? It's the same thing. It's almost as if time slows way down or even stops completely and you're seeing things or scenes for the first time. While I can't remember much, I hear stories from my parents, older siblings, grandparents. My mom? She was at home with me because I was sick. My dad? Sitting down to eat breakfast after getting off his shift at work. It was almost as if their lives were paused and they took the time to notice those around them. In movies we see this so often that we are numb to it or roll our eyes at the cliche. It's true. One of the things Hollywood got right.
Please take some time out of your day and remember those whose lives that were forever changed by that tragic day.
Finally, it's Friday. Even though it was only a 4 day work week, it felt like the same as my usual 6 day week. But I can't complain about the beautiful weather we are having. Tomorrow, I might go do some shopping or go to the farmer's market. Or I might just stay in and binge watch on tv shows. Either way, it'll be nice. I hope everyone is doing okay. This is your weekly reminder to treat yourself. I don't know how I'm going to treat myself but I will somehow.
I actually started planning this post out on my way home from work today. It's a 20 minute walk; I got to keep myself occupied somehow. I would like to give a little fair warning before I start, because I do know that I have the tendency when telling stories to get overly detailed and forget the point. So you've been warned.
As a freshmen, I took this specific test called StrengthsQuest. It's used–so I'm told–more often in the work world than I might think; it's a series questions designed to measure what your strengths are. At the end, you're given your top 5 along with descriptions of them. Now, my first four strengths made sense, but the last one confused me to no end. It was harmony. Those who know me know that I am not afraid to argue or speak my mind. But as the year continued and still today, I notice that it wasn't a false result and it made sense. I strive for harmony, peace, and calm. It's for this reason that I don't like and actually prefer not to take sides. I don't want to create even more conflict. A reason why I can't commit to one side or not because I likely can understand each of the sides.
Now how does this apply to recent tragedies of shootings involving police officers and people? I don't want to take the sides of anyone. This doesn't mean I don't sympathize with the families and loved ones of those killed. Because I do. Notice how I didn't specify which group. I realize that those of the African American community face a different set of day-to-day challenges. It's hard to put yourself in their shoes because you don't know what they have had to face.
What trips us up is labeling and associating things that don't necessarily have any correlation and taking them and applying them to society. When we start seeing a pattern, we make those associations and apply and compare them to others. Here's a list of generalizations that are common in today's world (I don't condone or agree with any of these–my personal thoughts and feelings do not play a part): all police officers abuse their power; all black people, specifically black men, pose a threat the public; all politicians lie to face their own butts; and others. No, not all police officers abuse their power, but some do take advantage of it. No, not all black people are dangerous, but some can be. Not all politicians lie, but some do. Whether someone lies, poses a threat to others, or takes advantage of their power has nothing to with the kind of clothes they were, nothing to do with the kind of vehicles they drive, nothing to do with how they look. It does, however, have everything to do what's inside, what kind of person they are. We are too blinded by our own thoughts and prejudices and bitterness that we twist reality to fit those firmly accepted concepts, and in the end, fueling the fire within us.
Guns don't kill people. People kill people. We need to start coming together and trying to understand one another; instead of going extreme and straight to violence if someone doesn't agree with you or you don't agree with someone. If not, then violence in the country and even the world will most likely continue to escalate.
It's almost the 4th of July. Exactly 6 minutes until the day. I know this post is a little late. Well, you see, when I got home to visit, I try to stay off my laptop as much as possible because it's a nice break from technology and I find I focus on my family and spending time with them. Right now, mostly everyone are asleep and I finally figured out what I wanted to write about. I know. My brain is fascinating, getting writing ideas and fuel for my post at ten minutes to midnight. Perfect timing. Not really, but you know, when the opportunity strikes, I must take advantage. My fellow writers out there can (maybe) concur.
If you are traveling, drive smart and safely. If you're setting up a fireworks display, please be careful. If you are camping or planning on any other recreational activities, please wear sunscreen (if outside) and reapply as much as possible and enjoy the uncommonly cooler weather for the 4th of July.
Before I got into my post, I wanted to give a couple of birthday shoutouts to a couple of firecracker babies.
First, my brother's godson, Joseph, turned 1 today. I can't wait to see you grow even more. It makes me smile to see your sometimes goofy, but always handsome face. He probably gets that from his mom. Kidding...or am I?
Second, to a very special person in my life and on very special day. Courtney, happy 21st birthday. I'm sorry we couldn't spend the day together, but I look forward to celebrating with you the next time we get together! I'm so glad that whatever force (I believe God had a hand or two in it) lead me to live across the hall from you this past year. It allowed me to come to know you and how beautiful, kind, funny, smart, caring, and wonderful blessing you truly are in my life. Thank you for being there when I needed to vent, let out my worries, laugh until my gut hurts, and sticking by me. You deserve to have a great day!
Dear America (and my fellow Americans),
First and foremost, happy birthday! Even though, you are still a young country in comparison to other countries, you have come a long ways from where you started.
Thank you for fighting the oppressors and earning our independence and title as a free country. An example you became (and still are) to be proof that a democratic republic can hold up and succeed. An example where there is such a place to have basic freedoms that other countries deny to their people. How you allow and welcome people from other countries with the open arms of Lady Liberty in New York Harbor.
As we settled in, we began noticing cracks in the foundation on which you stand. It nearly broke the nation in two. With the determination of many people, we were able to come back together as a country and began rebuilding the country. Of course, this issue is still seen today. It may be hard to believe, but it is most likely true. There's still a long way to go, but I know that when come together as a whole, a united front, there's not much that can hold us back.
Since then, we have seen our country come together time and time again to fight for what we believe in, to fight so that the countless innocent and brave lives did not die in vain, to fight for good to keeping prevailing over the evil in the world, to fight for those who cannot fight, to fight to set an example for those younger generations that we must never give up and to continue to hope and to have the will to keep carrying on even when the going is tough.
I must point out that we have many hurtles in our way. Differences to look past. History to move on from. We are not running a sprint; we're running a marathon. Segregation and hatred towards most, or if not all, minority groups. Childish fighting in congress and between political parties. This country was built on the principle that this is a place, a refuge even, to those different than us. Accepting others' differences is hard. But it's key to surviving as a country.
