Today, a brisk day indeed, found me walking through the woods with my 4 furbabies faithfully traipsing beside me. We had a mission, although some folks may find it sad or morbid, and despite the near below freezing temps, my dogs and I sojourned to a special spot deep in the woods by Maple Lake. That is where my beloved Marley is now buried. She died last year, February 6, on a day that felt similar to this one in temperature and that was what propelled me to visit there today. I don't go often to the place she is buried, although I go to those woods no fewer than twice a week.
So, in any case, there I am, walking with Josie, Jack, Murphy and Riley when I see an opening in the woods that opens up to a trail, so immediately I want to explore it. I don't often do that--explore I mean, especially when I'm alone because with dogs it's never a good idea to not know your terrain. But the feeling of wanting to, well that started me thinking.
When I think, I habitually try to draw parallels. I have an inherent need to try to connect to things--to synthesize the knowledge I have to make sense of knowledge I aspire to. I notice that many of you do that too. It tickles me when I see you do it. But, I digress. (shocker)
So, anyway--parallels. Like wanting to explore the trail--the same thing happens when I open a notebook to a blank piece of paper--I immediately want to fill it with words, ideas, thoughts (some half-baked, some not) etc. Or when I stare out into the ocean and immediately feel the urge to sail to the ends of it to see where it stops. I am fascinated by the unknown and it is because of that fascination I became a teacher in the first place. Why? Because the unknown triggers a desire in me to KNOW, to learn. And I am so thankful for that because without it, I wouldn't have 204, this blog or all of you. Every year there are new things, new ideas, new kids to talk to, to learn about to KNOW. It's really quite something.
So, anyway--parallels. Like wanting to explore the trail--the same thing happens when I open a notebook to a blank piece of paper--I immediately want to fill it with words, ideas, thoughts (some half-baked, some not) etc. Or when I stare out into the ocean and immediately feel the urge to sail to the ends of it to see where it stops. I am fascinated by the unknown and it is because of that fascination I became a teacher in the first place. Why? Because the unknown triggers a desire in me to KNOW, to learn. And I am so thankful for that because without it, I wouldn't have 204, this blog or all of you. Every year there are new things, new ideas, new kids to talk to, to learn about to KNOW. It's really quite something.
And that, my pumpkin-sunshines, is what I want to focus on this week, especially in the spirit of my favorite holiday--Thanksgiving. Which, by the way will be E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T!! I fully expect to eat myself into a food coma. Bring it ON.
So, tell me, what is it that you're thankful for? Now, please don't limit yourselves to the trite old cliches like "I'm thankful for my family" blah blah blah...Not that it isn't good to be thankful for your fam--of course it is. But what I want you to do here, not surprisingly I hope, is go a little deeper. I am thankful for my desire to KNOW-for wanting to explore unknown trails, to add to the store of things I learn on a day-to-day basis. I explained why already--and I want you to do the same. It won't be enough to tell us what you are thankful for--you also need to include the WHY. Try to consider yourself--who you are, what you value and where you imagine yourself to be in the future.
Use the force.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteUsually, around this time of the year, we’re asked the trivial and expected question of, “What are you thankful for?” Ever since elementary school our answer would always more than likely be “My family,” or “My friends,” but we’re big kids now, and while being thankful for your friends and family is always a good thing, there’s so much more to be thankful for.
With that said, I am thankful for the life I am able to live. While that sounds almost as cliche as answering with my family or my friends, it’s true. I think too often we take for granted just how lucky we are to be able to get a free education and to be living the lifestyle we have now. My dad had always been a big advocate of the saying, “You get what you get and you don’t get upset.” While that used to be the most annoying thing your kindergarten teacher could have ever said, I’ve learned to appreciate it. For those of you who’ve been far too busy in the shenanigans of academics and athletics and haven’t had the time to go watch the news, the Philippines was just recently hit by Typhoon Yolanda. While this doesn’t particularly affect me directly, it sure gave me a strong sense of realization. For those of you who don’t already know, my family and I immigrated from the Philippines about nine to ten years ago. The Philippines is a third world country and its living conditions aren’t the greatest. When Typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines thousands were hurt and homes were destroyed. While catastrophes happen from time to time, the Philippines has been continuously targeted by tsunamis, earthquakes and typhoons. Just two years ago they were hit by Typhoon Sendong and while they were finally seeing signs of recovery, another huge typhoon hit them bringing off-the-chart damage. Seeing pictures and news reports of the damage literally broke my heart. It’s honestly so sad seeing homeless, hungry and sick little children wandering the streets looking for any source of fresh water. We are honestly so lucky. We thought hurricane Sandy was bad? Just type up “Typhoon Yolanda” on Google and your mind won’t even be able to comprehend the current situation there.
We are so privileged to be able to say we live in America because I can tell you that others wish they were able to say that. I can recall from my toddler years that my mom used to tell me, “Anything is possible in America.” While some of you might disagree with that statement, I, without a doubt, am in total agreement. The opportunities are endless as long as you have the determination to pursue them. My parents gave up the comforts of their friends and family just so my siblings and I would end up living a life outside the poverty line in the Philippines. There’s honestly not enough words in the dictionary to be able to explain how thankful I am for their sacrifice. Leaving everything you know and love just for a chance that your kids would live a better life is admirable in itself.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, it makes me so angry when people my age say, “I hate my mom. She didn’t get me the iPhone 5s, now I gotta deal with the iPhone 5.” Things like these literally make me so unbelievably angry that my face resembles that of a grouch. WHY CAN’T YOU JUST BE HAPPY YOU EVEN HAVE A PHONE. Other people barely have enough money to put food on the table and you’re complaining about not having the latest cellular device??? Spoiled people make me so angry because spoiled people are the ones who always take things for granted (for the most part). It’s mind boggling how closed minded some people can be. In a way, I’m also thankful that I’ve learned to be thankful for what I have. Although my greed might sometimes get the best of me, I know that I can’t complain, for others have to go through much worse. Being able to say that I live a comfortable life is something I’m proud to say. I don’t need the latest Mac book or iPhone to make me happy (although that would be nice…just kidding…no...yeah…maybe) because I know that what I have now and the people who surround me are enough to make me the happiest person in the world. To end, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Break and that you eat till you can’t eat anymore!
Paula, this was one of the greatest blog postings I've read so far this year. I totally agree with you on all of this! People need to be thankful for what they have because so many others struggle everyday just in search for water. It makes me mad as well whenever i hear spoiled people complaining. I want to scream in their face because thats so annoying. They need to think of others around them, because its not all about the newest technology or the latest fashion. Be thankful for what you have and the lifestyle we are able to live. Happy Thanksgiving!! Love you!!
DeleteI really loved your response Paula. I'm glad that you talked about the tragedies that have happened in the Philippines. I think that a lot of us do take for granted the great country that we live in. Obviously it's not perfect, but we are so privileged to live in a country with so many opportunities and freedoms. The US probably has the highest population of greedy-ungrateful people in the world, and it is such a shame because we are tremendously well off in comparison to millions of people in other countries. Thank you for bringing up such a prominent issue, and for encouraging people to take the time to think about how lucky they are to have the things that they have.
DeletePaula, I completely share your aggravation for how people so readily will decry and take advantage of the things that they possess. In my short experience of going to the Philippines I saw and learned so much from the people there. They had such contentment even though they had nothing. No once did they attribute their happiness to the little material possessions they had. They found everything they needed in one another and the lessons they taught me have carried me to today. Therefore I understand the fear and stomach twisting sickness from the news of the typhoon because of how much the Philippines meant to me. I have found that the personal relationships and connections I made there are priceless and can never be replaced. You have a great attitude in the way you hold onto your values and your appreciation for life is admirable. Great blog!
DeleteWell, what am I thankful for. Well, barring the obligatory ones, family, friends, the like, the thing that I wake up every day thankful for is my ability to sing. Music is my passion, at least at the moment. any bad moments I ever have in my day, or are having in my life are completely nullified whenever I step into the choir room, or the auditorium as the case may be. My talent for singing has put music into my soul, or maybe the music in my soul is what has given me the passion to pursue singing at any presented opportunity. In any case, I wake up every day, happy with my ability to sing, and I honestly don't know what I'd be in life without it. It is probably one of the things that I am most thankful for in my entire life.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, now I'm pretty much going to go against Bunje's specific guidelines and talk about the obligatory. Above all else, I am thankful for my family. NOW WAIT BUNJE!!!! Before you hunt me down and vaporize me with your eye lasers, or worse, count this blog as unfinished, let me just say that I am especially thankful for my family for completely unobligatory reasons. While most people say they are thankful for their family because of the whole, you know, love and support system from the start of your existence to forever, mine stems even further than that. For those of you who don't know, I am adopted. But although I was only 2 months old, and my birth mom had my current mom picked out as a parent almost immediately, meaning I didn't really have to experience the whole orphanage ordeal, it still strikes me hard in the mind. You see, my birth mom wasn't exactly the most savory of individuals. She smoked, drank, partook in a few of the harder substances, and didn't seem to think that being pregnant with me was reason enough to stop that. Oddly enough still, it was after hard convincing by my current family that she even gave me to them, meaning she was perfectly fine with subjecting children to this kind of life, especially considering that she had other children after me, that apparently aren't doing so well in the whole scheme of life.
But anyway, this wasn't meant to be a sob story, by a long shot. It is because of my current family that not only have I had a support system and love and nurturing, because believe me, I have. It is because of them that I even got the opportunity to have a happy fulfilling life in general. If not for them, I most certainly would not be in AP Lang with all of you astounding individuals, possibly I wouldn't even be in High School at the moment. Also, you could forget about my whole talent at music thing, that was actually more nurture than nature, considering that my birth people possibly have a hard time stringing together coherent sentences, let alone singing them, and my current family is really big into the whole marching band deal. The thing I am thankful for most this Thanksgiving, as well as the other 364 days, is waking up in a nice heated house, in an upper middle class home, with a mother who loves me and a family who does the same, in Mays Landing, NJ as opposed to waking up in some hovel in Atlantic City, with three or four degenerate siblings, and a mother who would be more focused on her boyfriend of the week as opposed to us. That I get to sit down this Thanksgiving and have an actual meal, with people that I love and care about. So yes, I am thankful for my family.
Tom, hopefully Bunje wont mind because this was a great post! I never knew this part about your life. I am very happy to hear that where you are now and have spent your life growing up is with a loving and caring family. I think everyone deserves that. Love and support are two major things needed to help someone get through a day mentally which is why I am very thankful for them. Great post! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
DeleteI highly doubt Bunje would be upset with you for writing about your family because you certainly do have a very different reason for loving them and being grateful for them. I actually never knew you were adopted so you blog was really shocking but not just for the new knowledge about you family situation. I never realized how "close to home" I guess you would say, a situation like yours could have been. While riding into Atlantic City, I feel so distant from the lives if the young women, who may very well be my age, with several children hanging on their arms. I never thought I would be so familiar to a person who had very good chances of having that life themselves. This is probably one of the most eye-opening blog responses I've read this year.
DeleteTom, I never know about your background; I am so amazed. I think that you’re the funniest dude that I know and I honestly thankful for who you are and what you do. It’s very interesting that you’re are passionate about singing and theater, and how you have found a home in the arts. I think that you came a long way in the arts because you always tell me that you put your heart and soul into everything you perform. Although you’re not with your biological parents, it’s safe to say that you’re loved by a much more comfortable family that will support you in everything you do.
DeleteAlthough we might think doing blog responses is tenuous and time consuming, I've come to like having to read three other people's posts and have to respond to them. This blog post specifically is a reason as to why I love doing just that. I never knew you were adopted. Call me nosy, but I love learning thinfs about my peers. I'm not saying it in a I-want-to-know-everyone's-secret kind of way. I think everyone has something unique about them that differentiates them from everyone else. People in general amuse me for no one is every the same. Besides my desire to want to know other people (I'm creepy, I know) I really liked how you talked about your family and just how thankful you are for having the support system you have. We take for granted too often just how much time and effort our parents sacrafice for us. Great job on yet another blog post! Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you have a great break!
DeleteTom, I think your post was great I highly doubt this will be an incomplete assignment. Also, I applaud you for opening up and letting us into your life, which I am currently trying to do because I keep things private, always have. I think this was inspiring, and I also think that we should be thankful for what we have every day.
DeleteI don't think Bunje will hassle you regarding your response. The thing that I admired about your response was the fact that you mentioned a different reason for being thankful for your family. If you had simply stated your thankfulness was because they buy you the latest gizmo-gadgets, that may be deemed an unsuitable answer. However, your answer was extremely meaningful. I feel as though you know the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Thank you for the wonderful blog post.
DeleteI will be honest, I never usually read your blog posts as they usually tend to be long, but I am glad that I read this one. I really do not think that this will count as an incomplete assignment. As you said, it isn’t a stereotypical reason as to why you’re thankful for your family. It was a meaningful reason and wasn’t just cause your family gave your some materialistic things. I’m glad that you had the courage to open up about your personal life and let us get to know you a bit better. You’re a great singer and congrats on getting into all state. Happy thanksgiving!
DeleteI know I touched upon it in my blog, but I think the ability to pursue our passions or have passions in the first place is incredibly important in order to be a happy individual and we should all be thankful for such things. Whether it be a passion for music, or for art, or for something like collecting stones- we should all seek comfort in this things, and find joy in them. Without something you truly love doing life would be such an incredible drag. And when you are good in your field of interest, when you find yourself improving and you can mark that progress that's truly one of the best feelings in the world.
DeleteI think I actually do remember you saying something about your mom, but I never really thought about it that much, though that is certainly a different reason to be thankful to your family so I think Bunje should understand. That's not really something a lot of other people have to deal with. But it is a good thing to be thankful for. Other than that, goodness knows I love your voice. As far as choir goes, my love for it has only recently begun to pop up again, and you're one of the only ones that I actually speak to in that realm that has that passion I used to, and that definitely helps bring it back for me. So thanks Tom. :D Those are all good things to be thankful for.
DeleteTom, I never knew this about your background. I'm really glad you opened up to us like that, it's hard to do that sometimes and I admire you for it. I can't barely talk about my personal life without trying to hold back details. You took a really good approach to what we should be thankful for, sometimes we forget to appreciate the little things even things as trivial as our talents. Great post
DeleteTom, I loved the way that you described your feelings towards your family in a whole different type of way. Instead of viewing family in the cliché way, which no offense to anyone that's great and all, you highlighted that family doesn't really have to do with bloodlines. It about a group of people that take you in and show you what the meaning of acceptance and family really is.
DeleteI have been sitting here reminiscing about past Thanksgivings, fixating prominently on one of my years in grade-school when my teacher sent us all home with an assemble-it-yourself foam scrapbook with about ten pages that we had to fill up with things that we were thankful for. My nostalgia sent me rummaging through storage bins in my basement, sure enough to find the little scrapbook, surrounded by colorful paper turkeys and pilgrim hats. I was of course curious as to what my fledgling mind had deemed as significant enough to add to my thankfulness book. And to hardly any surprise the pages were filled with things like “my family” or “my friends” or “my kitty cats” and even “pumpkin pie” (I got a good chuckle out of that one). But through the years my list has grown to be more sophisticated and up to date with the things that I truly am thankful for, although I am obviously still thankful for family, friends, and my kitties. I suppose the things I am thankful for have matured along with me, and that is proving to be a positive thing considering that fact that this blog requires a more in depth thankfulness than just “family”.
ReplyDeleteIt’s definitely difficult to delve deeper into yourself in order to think of more ‘out of the box’ things that you are thankful for. But after thinking about it for quite a while I have come to the conclusion that there are many things that I am thankful for that reach beyond the stereotypical Thanksgiving cliches. One of the most prominent things I am thankful for is my ability to learn, and the tremendous privilege of being provided with a substantial education. Often times I catch myself complaining about school, or the copious amounts of work that all of these AP classes entail. But every once in a while I stop myself, and think just how lucky I am that I have the ability to be in AP classes, thriving and doing well. When I think about how many people out there struggle so greatly with school, and have to exert so much extra effort in order to do well, it makes me appreciate the fact that learning comes much more easily to me. Now, I am in no way attempting to be boastful in saying this, I truly feel blessed (as should all of you reading this) that my academic abilities are as strong as they are. And I am equally as grateful for the opportunity to be able to wake up every morning and have a school to go to, where I can receive a quality education that will build the foundation for my future. In so many countries around the world children are not handed the opportunities that we are, so I find it very important to take stock in that and seize every chance that comes my way.
And on an even deeper note, this Thanksgiving I am also tremendously thankful for the wonderful gift of being able to move on. To leave the past behind and stay focused on the future. After withstanding the most challenging year of our lives, my family has begun to make baby steps in the right direction, finally moving on from all of the pain and trials. We are now able to find strength and hope in the things that are yet to come, the dreams that we have that one day our lives would return to normal. As 2013 comes to an end, I wish nothing more than to leave it behind me and prepare for a good year to come. But I am utterly grateful that we are no longer dwelling on the hurt that we had been burdened with for so long, and we are at last peering into the light of a very long tunnel.
I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, full of love, happiness, thankfulness, and of course as Bunje said, food comas
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DeleteBryanna, I think this was a great respond. Many children do not have the opportunity that we have been giving to get such a strong education system. I as well am very thankful to be able to go to school, yes some days it may be hard or the late night homework times get annoying but it's all worth it! On the other note I am extremely happy to hear you say you and your family are on the road to moving on. I know this year was rough but everything is going to be okay! Love you and hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteI like that you decided to focus on school for what you are thankful for. As you pointed out we AP students probably have the least amount of respect for the work we get. We take it for granted and see it as more of a burden, another long grueling night, than as what it really is which is a sort of blessing. I am very guilty of this and am glad that you brought attention to the subject because now I know to be more mindful. It was also nice to read that you were thankful for being able to move on. I find that I hold grudges a lot, way more than I should, and it's starting to affect my life in bigger and bigger ways. Your reflection on it has served to remind me that I too need to know when it's time to move on.
DeleteI find it interesting that you revealed your thankfulness for our educational opportunities. Though we all silently acknowledge these opportunities because they often mean added stress, time, and rote memorization-induced headaches. I think it’s genuinely difficult and requires a lot of integrity to actually acknowledge that which we take for granted. As for the ability to move on, I find it more to be a necessity. And because of that, I can see why you would be thankful for it, but it was something I was definitely not expecting.
DeleteAh, yes, the ability to put the past behind you is something to be rather thankful for. Far too many times do we keep looking in our rear view mirrors in order to see the landscape that we left behind when in reality we should be focusing on the road ahead of us. Moving on, the fact that we are able to be educated as also a blessing. Some countries, girls are discouraged to pursue an education. I could not imagine what it would be like to attempt to survive in a world without having a proper education. As much as children like to complain about going to school, just like you stated, we should be thankful that we even have a school to attend.
DeleteBeyond all I am thankful for yes the clichés of my family and friends. They are what is most important to me in my life. These people have helped create the person I am today, and without them I really don’t know what I would do. Of course Bunje wants deeper, and relating to the blog post about what we value, I can say I am also thankful for this, being positive no matter what. Without my positivity on every situation, I would be in a nadir of life, rock bottom with no way out. I try my hardest to make the best out of everything; this is because of my optimistic attitude. I’ve talked to a lot of people who don’t want or clearly know how to think on the bright side of things. I am thankful for being so positive because of the fact that I’m not perfect. I have and am going to make mistakes. There will be hard times, and there will be extremely harder times. I have come to many situations involved with school and gymnastics where a positive attitude is needed to succeed and move forward. I may not be the smartest person in our grade, nor close to it, so my test grades lately have not been so great. With that being said, I could cry, or blame the teacher, but instead I work my way around any negative and tell myself that it’ll be okay and that I can bring the grades up. Examples for within the gym, I second guess myself too often but finally push through with the positive thinking to get myself through a practice. Without this, I would be unable to move forward in the gym. Negative thinking is no way near helpful while flipping your body through the air. I’m thankful for this trait because it really has built the person I am today. Whenever someone is upset I tend to be the one to comfort them and give advice to make things better, besides I hate seeing someone upset. Trying to imagine myself in the future would be difficult without my positive thinking. To get through many things it takes a lot out of me in order to push anything negative out, but I know I can eventually pursue them. I know I often talk about these things, gymnastics, positivity, etc. but it is because those are what help build the person I am. Which honestly through any hard times, or negative days, I am happy with who I have grown up to be so far. I am very thankful for all the amazing things life has offered. Of course I am thankful for a lot more in life, but this one I decided to share with everyone. I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love that you used a vocabulary word flawlessly in your response, I just thought it was kind of funny I guess. Beyond that, I hope you never feel like you are redundant when you write about gymnastics and your positivity. I say this not to be sarcastic but because I love reading your blogs. I find it inspirational how you are so passionate about you sport and are able to relate it to every aspect of your life. Also, as I believe I have told you in almost every reply to your blogs, I love your positivity, never let it go.
DeleteMichaela, I agree with how hard it is to say that you are thankful for something else other than your friends and family. It’s awesome how you incorporated a vocabulary word too. When I also wrote my response, I found that the people who I interact with are the people who make who I am. I think that your optimistic attitude is very impressive because it seems like you’re very busy. I think that your positive thinking helps brighten the mood everywhere and is something I should try. I think that all the things you commit to makes you a well-rounded person, and eventually everything you do will be for your benefit.
DeleteYour optimism has to be one of your most definitive traits. You definitely know how to cheer up a group of glum people, as you did many times in eleventh period study hall last year. It’s no mystery that you’re thankful for the thing that makes you… you! So many people turn away for being thankful for the things that make them unique. For that, I thank you for a genuine and pleasant response!
DeleteI have to definitely respect you for your optimism, among a lot of other things. In a world that seems to favor the pessimistic, seeing someone who makes it a point to look on the bright side of things in an incredible breath of fresh air. I also try to be positive when I can, but i'm definitely nowhere near as adept in it as you. Great post, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteI think that you're optimism is something to be thankful for because no every one can find it in themselves to be truly positive all the time. It is also something to be thankful for because it makes you, you just like your love for gymnastics and they are two qualities that everyone can admire because no many other people can say that about themselves. In addition your positivity is something can brighten anyone's day when they truly need it.
DeleteIt’s really wonderful to have such an optimistic attitude. To be fully aware that negativity will get you nowhere is great. I really admire how you strive to maintain such positivity in your life. You definitely brighten up a dark room with that awesome attitude. I hope you continue staying optimistic and enjoy your Thanksgiving.
DeleteI can honestly say that I have no clue what I would do without your constant optimism. I guess i should have written about that for what I am thankful for. I am thankful that I have such a wonderfully optimistic best friend!
DeleteBeing a very pessimistic person by nature, I could not be more grateful to have a best friend whose positivity balances me out and compliments me perfectly. I am so glad that you chose to write about your optimism as something you are thankful for, because it is one of the many reasons why I cherish your friendship so much. There are some days that I have reflected on that I don't know how I would have gotten through without your constant uplifting spirit and helpful hand. So thank you for being you.
DeleteMickie, your positivity is splendid! I honestly wish that I was this positive. You somehow manage to "take a sad song and make it better" (Hey Jude, The Beatles). There needs to be more people in the world who function like you. I feel as if there where more Michaela's in the world, less problems would exist. People would learn to be more accepting of the differences of other people; there would be less hate crimes. The world needs more positivity and less negativity.
DeleteYour optimism really is something to be happy and thankful about. What I appreciate about your optimism is that it is realistic. You don't synthesize fake things to be happy about, you just see everything in its best light. It's that sort of actualized-optimism that I am truly amazed at. And nice vocab integration in your blog post. That was awesome. Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteThe whole question of what I’m thankful for has always given me grief this time of year or any other. There are so many things with which I could answer the question however they all seem cookie cutter and predictable. I never want to say that I am thankful for my family or friends because it’s pretty much a given. So beyond those cliche responses, it’s always been hard for me to pick out something unique. I’m the type of girl who likes to be considered as “different.” While most girls shirk from such a title, it’s what I want to people to see most in me. I want people to see a special spark in me that isn’t in anyone else. I want to give an answer that no one expects. For me, the greatest insult anyone could give me would be for them to say that I’m average. The point of me saying all of this is that, through this characteristic about myself, I’ve found something that I am thankful for. I’m thankful for my striving to be different.
ReplyDeleteEver since I was little, I hated the feeling of filing in line with other people. I would never wear the clothes that everyone else was wearing. In Davies when all the girls wore the t-shirts with Aeropostale or American Eagle or Hollister on it, I chose any alternative I could find. This strange drive of mine is the exact reason why I try so hard to do well in school. Being able to say that I am in the top ten of my class is a distinction that few other people can own. I like it when people call me “smart” in fact I prefer it over “pretty.” Because I saw at an early age that getting good grades lead to a positive division between myself and my peers, it’s become one of the things I am most focused on. The reason I hate being average is that I feel that when I am average, I become lost in the crowd, a little speck that can no longer be distinguished among the thousands of other specks mobbing around me. I have no voice, I’m expendable. I guess in a way, this is my way of striving for attention, but that puts a negative cloud over my idea of myself so I try to not think about it that way.
There is one other thing that I am incredibly thankful for, even more so than for my struggle to stand out, and that’s my artistic ability. Art is a silent medium through which one can portray their emotions, their thoughts, and their view of the world in general. Since I am terrible at communicating my own feelings verbally, I have relied on drawing, painting, and playing my flute since I was a very little girl. While it’s easy for me to speak to a public audience on a subject that isn’t myself, I would never be able to go in front of the very same crowd and talk about my feelings. I can’t even express my feelings to my parents anymore because I just can’t find any words that make them understand. So to get out all of the built up feelings, I sit at my easel, fetch my graded pencils or put together my flute and release. The freedom of being able to draw or play whatever I want, how I want, eases all my frustrations. It’s sounds pathetic, I know, but it is quickly becoming the only therapy I have as I slowly lose more and more time with the few people I can talk to because of school work.
So that’s that. The two things I am thankful for beyond those cliche elementary answers you are expected to give at the Thanksgiving table (I tradition I unfortunately have to participate in). For people who aren’t like me, I made no sense in this blog, but that’s okay because I understand myself, and for this blog, that’s all that counts (not that I mean to sound conceited).
Tommi, your blog post surprised me. Most people, especially teenagers, only strive towards being like everyone else. They wear the same types of clothing and live the same lifestyles. However, your conscious decision to go against the crowd and see the bigger picture is truly remarkable. You see the uniqueness and beauty in yourself and that is something others cannot say about themselves. Your response reminded me of something my mom says regularly and I have also said myself which is, “you are not less just different.” I think that it’s an admirable characteristic in you that you choose to stand apart and want to be revered as a unique individual with a purpose. Great blog post!
DeleteTommi, I have always admired your uniqueness. Sometimes I look at you and I wish that I had the audacity to rise above social barriers and be so different. You have also always been an inspiration to me on a academic level, I see the hard work that you exert and the passion that you have and it fuels me to better myself. That being said, I really enjoyed your response. You absolutely should be thankful for your uniqueness, it is a great quality that through the years I have been trying to define in myself. I also loved that you expressed your gratitude for your ability to express yourself through art and music. I too have a very hard time expressing my feelings, and it is such a wonderful feeling to have an outlet in which you can truly express yourself without a care in the world. As I read more and more of your blog responses every week I find that I have a lot more in common with you than I had ever realized, I suppose that's why we get along so well. Thank you for sharing these things, because they have given me a new perspective on the things that I should be thankful for in addition to the things that I discussed in my own response.
DeleteI honestly loved this post. I've always hated the notion of being "average," of being like everyone else. I too was also searching for ways to stand out for the crowd and I think I still am. If anything, I think over the past few years, I've been able to define myself as Paula Cuerquid rather than "a girl." I think its natural for people to want attention. Coming from a family with four children, I've always been last on the who-to-give-attention-to meter from my parents. I don't think wanting attention is being concieted, I think its normal. Being unique has always been a thing I've aspired to accomplish and I've got a whole life ahead of me to do just that. With that being said, great job on yet another blog post! Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteThis was actually a very awesome post! If it means anything, you definitely are different (in the good sense) you are at the very least above average in everything you strive for, and to be quite honest, I'm rather jealous that you can be good at so many things. I can also relate with the whole art thing. I am also rather bad at talking to people, and have a lot of anxiety when it comes to having conversations or doing anything verbal in front of people in general (go figure). That is why I love to write, act (which is odd considering the whole fear of talking in front of people thing) and even moreso sing (which is weird, because singing is kind of like talking, only with notes). Music is the one thing I excel at, and is really my chief way of expressing myself when words fail (and they do. A lot.) I found this blog really relatable, and I never realized how much we had in common. Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteEvery year before Thanksgiving and the holidays, the question about what I am thankful for comes. Over the years, my mind changes and I am thankful for different things each year. Once I saw the blog post, I wondered about what I am really thankful for and after much thought, I came to realize that I am thankful for everything. I am thankful for the things that make me happy and the things that piss me off. I am thankful for the things that make me happy like the food I eat, the clothes that me warm, the roof that is over my head, the knowledge I receive when I go to school, and the fact that Thanksgiving is only a day away. I am thankful for the things or people who make me angry like my family, some of my classmates and teachers. I think that everyone should be thankful for everything because everything that is involved in our lives makes us who we are. If I didn’t go to Oakcrest and have the teachers I have now, I don’t know who I would be. The things that I mentioned shape who I am today and I couldn’t be any more grateful than I already am. You may be wondering why I’m thankful for the people who make me angry, but the truth is that the people who make me angry show me how not to be like them. The people who wonder the hallways and act the worst way possible show me how to become a different person and how to behave well. I am thankful for the people who I don’t get along with because I learn how to deal and care for someone who is the complete opposite.
ReplyDeleteThe things that make me happy like the food, clothes, and shelter may make me feel happy or comfortable for a few minutes or hours in a certain time like the winter, but something like knowledge will always make me feel happy. Even if I forget the things I learned in school, knowing something is better than knowing nothing and even if you forget something like when the United States was founded, the process where someone determines the fact or the truth is nevertheless exciting and rewarding. I am thankful for who I am because I know even though I may fail or fall, I will always learn how to succeed and get back up when I am going through a tough time. I am thankful for the people who help me and show me how to become a better person. So, before Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the beginning of the Christmas season begins, I want to say that I am thankful for everything. I know my response seems cookie cutter, but I am thankful for everything, because without everything and everyone, I honestly wouldn't know who I would be and what I would do.
David, I think it’s really interesting how you extended your perspective and broadened what you’re thankful for. So many people think that they need to focus on one or a couple of things to say they are thankful for but your blog post was very insightful. It’s a great connection to see that all components of your life, whether good or bad are worth being thankful for because everything around us affects us. Your ability to take these situations, whether positive or negative, and walk away a better person is amazing. Choosing to see even the worst experience as a lesson and blessing is inspiring and I applaud you for your optimism. Great job!
DeleteI found this post very interesting. If you asked me who I was thankful for I would have never said "the people who make me angry" but after reading this post, my whole perspective changed. I only strongly dislike a select amount of people and when I think about reasons as to why the reasons are always things I wish to never acquire. You're absolutely right in that the people who bring out the choleric person in me teach me how to NOT be them. Although their presence irks me, I'm grateful seeing as they show me reasons to be a better person. I really liked this post! You brought up a topic I would have never thought of, good job!
DeleteI also used to change what I was thankful for but I never really thought about what I am truly thankful for, at least not until this class and I’m glad I did because it opened up a new perspective for me.
DeleteThe way you substantiate your thankfulness for everything is pretty admirable. Even the things the things that “piss you off” made me laugh. The fact that you are thankful for those who you despise and use them as a basis from which you modify your behavior is genius. Resourcefulness should be something you are also thankful for because that’s the epitome of it right there. Very well thought out.
DeleteI never thought about being thankful for the things that piss me off but when I think about it that too is an experience in molding me and forever changes who I am. I also admire the fact that you said you are thankful for everything because I don't think I could open myself up like that because I am so often stuck in my normal conventions.
DeleteI really can relate with you David, like holy cow this is basically what i meant to say in mine. wow, thank you for saying that, twinsies lol.
DeleteIn writing a response to this blog post, I was surprised to find that many of the things I was thankful for were the same as or ran parallel to things that I value. I probably shouldn’t have been surprised by this because it would make sense the components of our lives we hold closest are the ones we are most thankful for. Nevertheless, I was ignorant of this connection until responding to this blog response. One of the things I absolutely value and am most thankful for is time. I know I’ve said it all before and it may be cliché to some but it isn’t to me. Every situation I’m in, every relationship I have with others, everything I do I seem to count the minutes until it’s over. Don’t get me wrong however. I don’t mean that I don’t enjoy these events and encounters; rather I mean the opposite. Due to the circumstances in my life I’ve been forced to see that all things on this earth will come to an end. That is why when I am especially enjoying something I take a special precaution in preserving it to the best of my ability. I savor every second and commit every detail to memory because I know that life is a vapor and I want to experience it to the full. I don’t want to neglect anything because everything I have in my life I value as a blessing and an opportunity. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to not squander the time and gifts I’m given out of fear or apathy. In saying this, I am thankful for freedom. The rights that we have in being able to express our opinions and act out our beliefs are a rare gift to behold; a rare gift neglected yet taken advantage of by so many today. We are too concerned with tearing each other apart and disparaging every aspect of others that we miss out on the liberties given to us by those who fight and die for us to live. The ability to make decisions for ourselves and to be our own people with varying talents, opinions and personalities is something so incredibly beautiful. Other people in this world may never come to know what we do in deciding for ourselves and that is a truly disconcerting awareness to have. Also, I know we aren’t supposed to focus on components of our lives such as family, friends, etc. However, the relationships that I have with them and their connection I am thankful for. I am thankful for their support, their loving words and their willingness to always run alongside me despite of what I am going through. The fact that they don’t give up on and find worth in me means everything to me. I am blessed to be the recipient of such genuine kindness and relation and am thankful for the opportunity to be the same to them as they are to me. As far as I am concerned, I am thankful for who I am. I am not perfect by a long stretch however I am thankful that I hold onto the values that I have and that I have been able to come out of difficult situations stronger than I was at their beginning. I am thankful for the obstacles I have faced because I know that no matter where I may end up in the future, whether I am rich poor, healthy or sick I will rise above my situation and make the most of it. I don’t know what tomorrow or a year from now will bring, but I am thankful that I have the time that I do now to make a difference and the ability to keep moving forward. I am thankful for being able to live. Finally and most importantly, I am thankful for God’s grace in deciding to love me as his creation rather than turn away from me in wrath. I know I don’t deserve him or to be forgiven for the wrong I have and will commit. But I remain thankful for the sacrifice he made so that I could have a second chance and be a part of something greater than myself. I am thankful that I can remain strong in him and have the assurance that I am never alone, unloved or unwanted; even when all else fails me. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)
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DeleteFrancesca, your stand on time is very important and is something that I missed when I was writing my response. I too think that time is very essential and so important because it goes away very quickly. Your view on freedom is also something that everyone should be thankful for because not everyone in the world has the freedom they deserve. Although many people in the US have the right to do many things, there are small number of people who have their rights locked up. The freedom everyone gets to express towards his or her family is nevertheless admirable and soothing and something that everyone should consider always.
DeleteAs always Francesca I loved your blog response and I didn’t realize it but I too count the minutes until something is over not because I really want the event to be over but because I want to know how much more time I have to savor what I am doing. Also a happy thanksgiving to you too!
DeleteWow, time, I really didn't think of that at all when going over things, but now I don't know why I didn't. I make the mistake a lot of times of living strictly in the now (which would explain my dismal stint with the chess team). I rarely take photos, if ever, but that is partially because I have a good memory anyway. Though now I'm thinking, and I realize that in like, 20 years, I might forget half of the things that are still vivid in my memory at the moment (some of which I will be thankful of losing in and of itself, but I digress) and even though I feel like this revelation won't really change how I go about with relationships with people, it will most certainly make me cherish them more in the long run, because everyone says these are the best years of your life, and so far, I have to agree with them. I've made some incredible friends, had awesome moments, and made memories that I couldn't forget if I wanted to, and I never would want to. Time has to be one of the most valuable things on this planet, and I agree that we should cherish it.
DeleteI am also counting the moments with my family and friends because every moment with them is one I cherish but it fades too quickly. And by counting them I furthering them in my memory as events that I will grow love them for even more.
DeleteI loved your response and i totally agree with everything you said! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
DeleteTime is such a precious commodity to students, that's for sure. And I'm definitely thankful for time, specifically free time, as well. This four day weekend is enough to make me cry tears of joy despite it being a pretty lousy amount of time for a 'break', but beggars can't be choosers. I often feel overwhelmed because I have so many things I want to do, or play, and I can't manage my time correctly and end up disappointed that I spent the last three hours playing this game instead of watching that show. I know my parent's get worried when I turn down their invitations to go out places but it's not so much being adverse to social interaction at the moment as it is the whole 'leaving the house' thing would be a waste of my precious free time. So when I do get free time that I can enjoy at my leisure, without the ever present stress of school lurking in the background, you better believe that I am thankful for it and enjoy it to my fullest.
DeleteI never thought to value time before, so thank you for shining light into a new area for me :) I had a discussion with someone who said the connotative negative saying "Minutes feel like hours with you" to me. at first i took it kind of offensively but he explained that he meant he enjoys every second with me, and i think you share the same view. That is a really good thing to be thankful for Francesca
DeleteI never thought about being thankful for time. Time is always an important thing to have. Time for friends, family, school, activities. It's all important. You're right, at some point our time always runs out and we never know when that is. I've noticed that too, we never have enough time for things. We should be grateful for all the time we get. Good post Francesca
DeleteAnyone who I have spoken to recently can blatantly tell that I’m very excited for thanksgiving and the holiday season in general. I feel this way every year because people seem to be in a much better mood and the people that make up my little world are much more pleasant to be around. As it is now the holiday season it is also the time that society sets for everyone expressing what they are thankful for, though I believe we should be thankful and recognize life’s gifts each and every day, but I can’t say that I do this myself. Honestly I try but it does not work out this way because of everything else that goes on in life that consumes our minds. With this being said I try to be thankful for friends and family because they have led me to what I am really thankful for. These people have been everything to me ever since I can remember, the people in my family who I would actually consider family and not just a relation by blood are the people that I know care, they will try to help whenever possible, and they will just be there under any circumstance for me. These people, with the help of myself, are what made me who I am and this is what I am truly thankful for. I am thankful for the mentality that I have because I believe I will go somewhere in life. This could have easily not been the case for me, this is because there are so many things that could have distracted me from being on the road to where I want to be in life. A few years ago my parents had a nice sized problem to face in their marriage and ever since then everything changed. My parents used to be on top of me with everything I did they would be all about my life in school and who I was associating myself with and that is almost everything my life I did besides my weekly sleep over with my grandmother who is now basically a mother to me. At the time I felt smothered, granted I was ten and did not have a life anyway, but I thought it was to most annoying thing for them to do to me. I can cow look back and see why they would do such a thing not because they did not have a life of their own, because they certainly did, they did this because they wanted to make sure I was creating a personal foundation so that one day when they would not be around it would be clear that I was doing what I should be completing to keep on this track to a life I want to live. I also did not realize at the time that the people I hang out with made a difference, but it does because I realize no matter how good of a person people can be it depends on how they really act because they can easily get tangled up in a web they cannot be freed of and tangle me up as well. This day eventually came when my parents were trying to decide what to do with their relationship I feel like my siblings and I got dropped, I don’t think it was because we were not important but they were very upset, at least my mother was, and I picked up a lot of responsibility at this time. I knew that something serious was going on but at my age I did not think it could be much more painful than stepping on toys in the morning running to the bathroom, boy was I wrong. I began doing a lot of chores and caring for my siblings in any way that I could, I also began to cook just the year before so I had gotten good at it. During their tumult I could easily have enjoyed my new freedom, dropping my work and just becoming the laziest person not doing a thing but watch television. The thing is though I didn't become this person, thanks to my parents. I kept up my studies, stayed with the right crowd, blocked out the bad influences, I became a dedicated hard working person, and I believe that will take me somewhere I would like to be in life, and this is what I am truly thankful for.
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving, is my favorite part of the year not because Black Friday is right at the corner but because is the time of the year we meet with our family not to give presents but sit together as one big family. This blog might seem easy but trying to single out something that has really made a difference in my life is very difficult since, I wake up each day feeling blessed.
ReplyDeleteI can never say, i'm thankful for anything without my family being the first thing, I'm thankful for. The most important thing, I am thankful for is My elder sister. I grew up knowing, I have an elder sister who I only saw pictures of and letters from. For a couple of years now, we have skyping, calling and sometimes snapchatting each other but I felt that the bonding was not strong since she barely knew me apart what i told about my interest.
Over the summer, a sister I have not seen over thousand years comes to the United States from England. Well, she did not stay for this thanksgiving, but Im thankful for the fact that I was able to see her and have a really nice summer which I wish would never end but the evil twin of time was as usual being rude, since it caught up with soo fast my sister has to go back to her law school in England. I'm also thankful for her being in her final year of law school, Im proud of her.
Well, I'm happy with a huge smiley face that I guess no tablet or phone could hold. Why, we wake up every single day happy, tired or even sad but we still go through a beautiful day. I'm thankful for the gift of life and the priviledges I'm enjoying as a result of the hardwork of the founding fathers and what othe in other places like Africa could not possiblely enjoy, not to rub it in their face but Im greatfull for that.
AND THANK GOD FOR CREATING TURKEYS.........I LOVE SLOW TURKEYS.......
Just like you, I am thankful for my family. I’m thankful for the times when I get to talk to my grandparents, aunts and uncles in the Philippines. I’m grateful for the fact that I will be able to visit them this Christmas, even if it is just for three weeks. If it weren’t for my family making sacrifices, I wouldn’t be in the United States from here. I wouldn’t have the privileges that I get from living here and wouldn’t get as much opportunities. I’m grateful for everything that my family has done for me. Have fun eating a “slow turkey” tomorrow lol.
DeleteHahaha, "thank god for creating turkeys" -- I will ascribe to that thanks! Being separated from relatives like that really is a unique experience, as it does make you far less likely to take things for granted. It's great that you are so proud of your sister. It is really uplifting to see that kind of love. Happy Thanksgiving!!
DeleteCHESS,I think we should always be thankful for time, since the evil twin of time is always around to catch like a predator and a prey. Im thankful for everything and even for the fact that I could share my thoughts with you guys. Happy Thanksgiving......I thank God for slow turkeys.....
ReplyDeleteWhen I found out that this week’s blog question is what am I thankful for I at first found it hard to get out the predictable answer of saying family and friends. While that answer is important it’s also a given so after pondering the question some more I came up with an answer that doesn’t always apply to everyone I am thankful for the ability to learn and try new things something I think we as Americans often take for granted in regards to school. Because for me especially as a girl if I lived in the Middle East or at a different time in history I probably wouldn’t’ be able to go to school and learn new things. In addition to not being able to get an education I wouldn’t be able to try new things either because school has brought activities that I wouldn’t do otherwise. For example, I wouldn’t have ever did crew without being presented with it in school in fact if someone would have told me that I would find myself in a boat from February to May I probably would have looked at them like they had five heads, six arms, and four pairs of feet. But because of school I tried something new and that brought on new experiences which made me learn more about me. I never would have learned how hard I was willing to work if weren’t for 10ks because fifty minutes on an erg is just as bad as it sounds especially in our rowing room because after forty minutes in a stuffy room in which twenty people are rowing with you increasing the temperature exponentially continuing on for another ten minutes is a test of the wills. Another thing is you never know how hard you’re willing to work for someone else when their success is depending on your efforts because in crew every stroke counts and every stroke you don’t pull your hardest or try as hard as you can is a stroke you could lose it for your boat. I would have never been able to learn these things without school and everything that it entails.
ReplyDeleteMy first reason for being thankful coincides with my second which is I am thankful for people in general. Without people bad and good I wouldn’t know a lot of things like what mistakes I don’t want to make, how much I love to laugh, the fact that no matter what I’m going through or feeling there’s always someone going through something worse or that no matter what you say or always treat people the way you would want to be treated. I learned the first when I see comedians like Kevin Hart and am full on laughing for like five minutes. I learned the second from my brother of all people because no one else that I see every day makes me think that I don’t want to be them when I get older more. My brother was one of those people who wished to be anywhere but in my parent’s house everyday he would say it without fail but, when he was finally in college out of the house and on his own he blew it he had to drop out because he totally flunked .So now three kids and a McDonald’s job later he’s still in my parent’s house with his own life stifled because he blew his one chance of being free the one thing he really wanted to be. I don’t wish to be out of the house probably the exact opposite but when I finally find that thing that I want so badly that I wish for it I won’t blow it. The other two I’ve learned from less person endeavors like the news when I hear about people who that struggle getting food every day or the fact that everything when someone kills themselves because they were being bullied by their peers. Those are the times when I realize that my problems aren’t that big and when I think you should treat everyone with behavior that you would want in return. So when I finally got out of the cookie cutter answer of family and friends I realized that I am thankful for that and a lot more which is what I think thanksgiving is really about.
I agree with you. Coming from the Philippines, I know that not every country has the ability to be able to learn and try new activities as we do here in the United States. In fact, I don’t think that Philippines even has a crew team. I would’ve never heard of crew if it weren’t for me moving here. Oh your second paragraph. I love how blunt you are about your brother and his mistakes, but I am glad that you somehow find a positive thing out of it. You are right that if it weren’t for other people, we wouldn’t know the difference from right or wrong and we wouldn’t see mistakes. Well other than that, happy thanksgiving!
DeleteIt’s hard to admit that some of us take for granted of what we are able to do, especially learning. Having access to knowledge the way we do is amazing and it’s hard to picture life without it. You are right that there is others who aren’t as lucky as us and get the same education as us. Or even get to discover new activities such as crew. After reading your post I was also reminded to be thankful of our education too. Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteI agree with never taking anything for granted. Well said! Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteYou're totally right. People take everything for granted, when we shouldn't take anything for granted. The way you explained this blog was excellent. All around great job!
DeleteThere are so many opportunities for us here in America that we sometimes overlook our freedoms. Even though our country has some flaws, it is good to appreciate our liberties in comparison to third-world countries. Also, getting to interact with different types of people is something that I never really considered something to be grateful for until now. It's good thing to have the opportunity to have other people around us that influence the way we approach different situations. By learning from other's actions, we are more aware of what to do and what not to do.
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ReplyDeletePart 1
ReplyDeleteExpressing thankfulness is something I am always reluctant to do. I say that not because I feel that it hurts my pride or that it’s embarrassing. Honestly, I have trouble accepting my fortunes because I largely feel unworthy of what I have. But I guess that’s the beauty in being thankful. I believe that in order to be truly thankful for something, you have to not feel entitled to it. Entitled can be an ambiguous word though, so I will clarify. As far as the obligatory cliches, (family, friends, etc.) many people have these things but they are not necessarily entitled to them just by living on this earth. They do not always come in the box of life unlike an R/C airplane with double A batteries or a new smartphone with earbuds. I believe that everyone deserves these things but I recognize that they aren’t guaranteed. The more and more you think of it, we are not born into this world entitled to many things; good health isn’t even guaranteed. And I believe that the first critical step to being thankful for something is to recognize this fact. Some people, including myself, feel undeserving of what they have in the first place, so coming to terms with being thankful can be difficult and sometimes even painful. But I won’t go there. Because there is much for me to be thankful for.
I relate very much to the described feeling of wanting to explore and learn about the unknown. Though I’m no mathematician, especially when it comes to arithmetic, I am fascinated with the concepts of numbers and how they relate to one another. There is a select group of people who drive along the road and actually undergo a process in which they try to visualize how many car lengths appropriately measures certain points on the road; usually between telephone poles. Yes, I am one of those people. I also sometimes like to imagine if my vehicle were some kind of tractor trailer that is exactly x amount of lengths longer than the vehicle I’m in now, so I take the estimated distance in car lengths and divide by x to quickly excercise my understanding my proportions. When I find myself in a boring meeting or class with a piece of paper and writing utensil, I’m constantly scratching down mentally generated math problems to see if I can establish new numerical relationships in my head. I’m not the kind of a person who likes to explore the ocean or the woods, but I do like to explore numbers for some reason. And that motivating force has helped me immensely in my grades the last few years. It has also changed the way I perceive the world. And for establishing my outlook on life, I am ever thankful to that internal mechanism that motivates me to explore.
I am also thankful for all of the subtle humor and comedy in the world. Not for all of the humor that exists, but the fact that humor exists in almost everything. Maybe it’s just a psychological disorder, but I can always interpret some form of comedy out of every situation. It’s definitely useful in times where I need a boost in morale, but it sometimes goes to extremes to where I find it hard to control myself in a rather socially unacceptable time. The fact that “The Seven Words You Can’t Say On Television” are also my seven most commonly used words is a testament to that. The fact that life, at least to me, has it’s own built in coping mechanism is just, for lack of a better word, awesome. Whenever life knocks you down, it makes an effort to help you back up. It does this through the omnipresent follies of human nature. You just have to make the effort to see these things.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteI am very much thankful for the ability to pursue inner happiness. Watching others pursue their passions is the most satisfying thing I can claim to see. Making it against all odds is the ultimate form of inspiration. There are people out there with pure audacity who set the precedent of achieving true happiness via unthinkable mediums. And for every person who pursues their true happiness, a few others follow suit. I am thankful to the officials, teachers, and individuals who inspire us to be all we can be and make. This is seems unusually optimistic coming from me, but I will admit publicly that I’m a sucker for inspirational stories. They bring me unimaginable entertainment and so naturally, I am thankful for them.
Hm, you bring up a really good point when you say we have to realize what we have and why we have it before we can really be thankful for it. A lot of people just grow up never considering all the little creature comforts they possess and how lucky they are to have them just because they happen to live in a more well-to-do part of the world than other people. There are probably people who are born into great wealth who never consider how amazing it is that they never have to worry about money, that they never have to worry if they can buy those clothes they like, or if they can get the food they want, or if they can get into a good school. When you grow up with something it's hard to really notice it and be grateful for it because it's a constant to you- only when something is taken away do you ever even notice and appreciate its presence in the first place. So you are absolutely right when you say that to really be thankful for something or to even consider being thankful about something we have to stop feeling entitled to it and realize that we're lucky to have it at all in the first place.
DeleteI too talked about my thankfulness for comedy and humor, as it such an important factor in our lives. I think the feeling of being unworthy of what you have is indeed what amplifies your gratitude for it. If you believe you deserve what you have, you may invite a feeling of entitlement, which could then cause you to take that thing for granted. Your thankfulness for your love of math is also pretty awesome! It's amazing how much complexity is behind the simple mechanisms in our life. As a faithful Mathlete, I approve.
DeleteAlonna, it is quite fascinating that I have the same thoughts as you on thanksgiving. This is because we spend most of our time celebrating christmas and easter with less thoughts because people only think of it as a time to remember Christ. Im not saying it is not important but thanksgiving comes with the truth value of things. Good job......Happy thanksgiving......
ReplyDeleteDave W., just like you I am thankful for comedy especially Kevin Hart and Mr. B. On the other hand, I would like to thank you for you effort in pointing out that, we should be thankful for our teachers and authorities including friends who have held us up even when all odds were against us. Happy Thanksgiving Bro....
ReplyDeleteQuestioning me what I’m thankful for in this life is similar to asking me what I want for breakfast. And my answer would be everything. Including the basic favorites which consists of family and friends. Though I can’t think of a reason where you wouldn’t be thankful for family or friends. Now family and friends put aside I revealed something new I recently became thankful for.
ReplyDeleteI’m thankful for my compassion for animals. I came to this conclusion some days ago when I was playing a hardy game of fetch with my German Shepard and then the ball rolled into where my first German Shepard Lucy, was put to rest. Gluing my eyes to the area pulled quite a few heart strings. Especially when flashbacks appeared in my mind of when I was caring for her just days before she passed. The medicine I would deliver to her to ease her pains and aches, to then rest with her in the grass for hours till I was called inside for the night. Losing her was hard, but didn’t stop me from my mission for loving and caring for animals. After Lucy I adopted my loyal German Shepard Hector, then my baby Chihuahua Bubbles, and my silent friend the Leopard Gecko Ivan.
These animals are highlight of my day, for their happiness and playfulness rewards me enough. Bringing an animal some type of comfort or simple companionship is wonderful to me. Then to learn of their perks and personalities is even more so. I am sincerely grateful that I find such greatness in all animals. Not many can open their eyes and see that, which can lead to the abuse of an animal or even worse. My compassion for animals gives me the entrance to learning and understanding another living things ways.
This Thanksgiving I’m going to love and cherish not only my family, friends and everything else, but my lovely and unique animals. For my drive to help and care for animals is unchanging and I’m thankful for my ability to share such kindness with animals.
That's so wonderful. I can really relate to the part when you laid outside with your dogs for hours, because i love that feeling of having to be called away from the outdoors. It's such a beautiful memory.
DeleteI love how you were able to discuss something as unique as your love of animals. It's definitely something you should be grateful for because it has brought you such happiness throughout your life. I appreciate the different approach you took to this blog post.
DeleteI almost don't believe you when you say you only realized that a few days ago.. Not just because I know you love animals, and you couldn't have so many pets otherwise, but I'm pretty I distinctly remember 3rd grade Taty & Soti promising to become a doctor and vet, respectively, and share our own little practice together.. Which was childish of course but still. And I can certainly relate. Just earlier I was talking about the only poem I've written since high school being an ode to my dog for Mozetti. I love that mutt.
DeleteIt’s really great that you are thankful for your love of animals. It’s really sad that many people are not thankful for this. Just like you I also love animals, I’m so thankful that I have a puppy that I can cry to and cuddle with. Without animals I would be so lonely! I think your compassion for animals is so great and I admire that. Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteEvery thanksgiving I am always asked the question “What are you thankful for?” Although I am thankful for my wonderful friends and family (most of the time) I hate saying this same old cliché answer that everyone else always says. Of course everyone in the world is thankful for friends and family, even if they don’t want to admit it. Their parents gave them life and life itself is the most important thing to be thankful for. Anyway I always try to give a different answer, something that is unique to me, something that not everyone else in the world is thankful for. Although it may not seem like it most of the time, and I complain about it constantly, I am thankful for school and the opportunity to get an education. I am always thinking about my future, what college am I going to, what I want to do, how much money I’m going to make, and all of these things come back to education. I am so thankful that I can go to a safe school every day and get a very good education. So many people in this world either can’t afford to go to school or are afraid they might get killed by going to school. Malala from Pakistan almost died because where she is from girls aren’t allowed to get an education. She fought for her right and went to school anyway to get an education and on the bus one day a man from the Taliban shot her. So many people take their school for granted. Many people are not thankful for school and don’t try at all, and that’s just absurd. These people don’t realize it now but how you do in high school is going to set you up for the rest of your life. If you don’t care about school and get bad grades you’re most likely going to be a janitor for the rest of your life and who wants that? I am not only thankful for the education itself I am also thankful for the amazing people that give me the education. I am so thankful for the teachers that wake up early every single day to teach me. Not those teachers that hate their job and hate children and get to school at exactly 7:20 and leave at exactly 2:30. I am thankful for the teachers that use their own time that they could be spending with their families to help me and other classmates. If we didn’t have these amazing teachers, then we wouldn’t even be able to get an education! Not only am I thankful for the teachers but also the principal, vice principals, guidance counselors, security guards, even the janitors. All of these people make it possible for me to go to school and learn.
ReplyDeleteAlong with school I am also thankful for many other things in my life. One thing is dance. Dance is something that I am so thankful for each and every day. I am thankful that I have a hobby that I can do whenever. I am so blessed that I was given the talent and ability to dance. I love being able to express my feelings through the movement of my body. I also love that when I’m having a horrible day I can go to dance and my mind is completely cleared for a few hours. Dance keeps me sane, it helps me let go of the things that are bothering me, and it helps me get my anger out when I’m mad. If I didn’t have dance I’d probably be a crazy maniac. Having dance everyday teaches me to manage my time wisely. Also dance has given me the most amazing friends that I’ve ever had in my life. I am so thankful for dance because without it I wouldn’t be me.
I’m definitely thankful to go to school to get and education. But I didn’t think about how I should be thankful to being going to a safe school. You make a great point by referring to Malala because that fact that we can go to school without the danger she must avoid is startling.
DeleteSchool and education is a huge part and i agree 100% with that! Nice blog post! Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteI can totally relate to being thankful for a great school and a wonderful education! Just like Sotiria said, you make a good point bringing up Malala and her school. There is a huge different, and I couldn't be more thankful to go to school in a safe environment! This was a great blog post!
DeleteKass I really think it was nice that you brought to everyone's attention how lucky we are to get to go to school everyday safely and are guaranteed to have access to education for the rest of our lives. I'm just as bad as everyone else, but it's so common to hear complaints about how bad we have it at school and how they wish they could just stay home everyday. But the thing is, like you reminded us with Malala and the people of her hometown, some youths do not get the opportunity to expand their horizons and make something of themselves. It's such a great quality of yours to realize what you have s a student and I totally agree with you
DeleteWell, despite the rather cliché question, I actually have been thinking about things I'm thankful for. I can whip up a list much quicker than I could in any previous year- whether this can be attributed to more positive things in my life or just maturation on my part, it's hard to say. To start in very broad terms, I suppose I am just happy at the time I'm living in. I'm thankful that I am living in the year 2013 and not, say, 1950 or 1800 or however far back you want to go. I mean sure, I would probably be want to live in the far distant future but as far as things go I'm as far in future as I can get until someone gets around to inventing a time machine. I'm living in one of the most progressive periods in history, both socially and technologically. Things are far from perfect, but at least it is a time where people can pretend to grant other groups their basic human rights, if nothing else. Because I don't belong to a lot of supposed 'majority' groups this is a good thing for me, obviously. And of course I'm eternally grateful for the level of technology we have here in the lovely year of 2013- and I am glad that we will continue to improve upon that technology in the foreseeable future. I don't just mean I'm thankful for it all as a means of entertainment (though I am, I can assure you of that) but also as a way to improve life in general. With a lot of modern technologies and medicines I will probably live twice as long as my family before me, and live more comfortably at that and the modern era of computers, cell phones, and the internet have opened up an amazing options of communication for me. I know it's horribly cliché to say 'I'm thankful for my friends' when presented with such a question but you will have to excuse me for a moment while I say- I am thankful for my friends. Specifically, I am extremely thankful that I got an opportunity to meet a lot of my friends because of social media and the internet. I started talking to my current best friend, Parisa, sometime last December- a little under a year ago. And she's twenty years old, and attends college in South Carolina and obviously there was very little likelihood of ever meeting her if I didn't have the internet. And I honestly can't imagine where I would be without her, or any of the other friends I made online, so despite being the most obvious answer to this question I still had to mention my friends.
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ReplyDeleteI suppose, if we're going to go a bit deeper and leave material possessions behind, I'm thankful for the motivation and creativity I have right now. I'm not sure how many people know this but I do draw at home quite a lot. I've even started posting some of that art after my confidence levels creeped slowly upward and I was able to deem my drawings as 'ok' instead of 'eye-searingly horrible'. But before this recent rush of sudden improvement and love for my art I was stuck in an absolutely horrible art rut for over two years. I had no motivation to draw, I had no ideas, I was probably getting worse in that time period rather than improving. It still makes me depressed and scared when I think of that time period and how I was days away from giving up drawing completely, of just throwing my hands up and saying 'I will never be good at this, so why bother?'. It is such an amazing relief to me now that I can open up a new canvas and actually have ideas, and when I put down my tablet pen things I like- actually like!- show up on screen. Drawing has finally gone back to being a hobby I do for myself that I enjoy for myself instead of a task that I forced myself to practice because it was good for me. I would rather be completely awful at art and enjoying myself than fantastic at art and hating every second of it- but here I am, having struck a nice balance. And I suppose this is really the main thing I am overwhelmingly, ridiculously happy and thankful for at this moment in time. I'm still hoping, every single moment of the day, that I don't slip back into that rut of no improvement and no motivation; that would throw me into such an unbearably bad state of mind. I'm sure there are plenty of other things I am thankful for but these were the first things that came to mind, and obviously the most important things to me.
What is it that I am thankful for? I thought this would be the easiest question without the basics but I realize it is not. Sure like everybody else I am thankful for my friends and family. I learned this year more than ever that I am thankful for so much more than that. Going into junior year I knew this was going to be a hard year. We can all admit we have heard that lecture since we came out of the womb. The year is not even half way done and I’ve learned so much. I have learned to appreciate things more. I’ve learned to be thankful for my teachers most of all. Not just saying this but I know more people can agree that Bunje is the best. She is one of the only teachers that actually have made me learn more about me than any other teachers have. She’s made me believe more in myself more than I ever thought I could. It is those few people in my life like Bunje that I am truly thankful for and I don’t throw that around often. There is a different relationship between a sibling, a parent and a friend compared to a person who can truly change your perspective and path to success in a positive way with only seeing you 6 hours a day. I am also thankful for time and memories. That may sound corny but those two things are my most valuable values. I am so thankful that everyday I can see my friends and even meet new people and try new things. You don’t see people in other countries that are able to do that without getting some sort of consequence. “Every minute of sadness is a minute of happiness wasted.” LIVE BY THAT! I am just overall thankful for waking up in the morning and being able to change someone’s day with a smile. To end this blog post being a little cornier I am thankful for all my peers here in my LANG class. You guys are the best and are always there to help. Love you all.
ReplyDeleteThis was so good and relatable Dom! We're here to help you through all of your struggles and celebrations this year! love you!
DeleteDom this is the exact problem I had because there is so many things that a person can be thankful for and instead of explaining how I thankful for each one I said that I cam thankful for the fact that we are able to have so many things to be thankful for. I have so many things thankful for but each one is so important and I just felt it was justice for me to just explain one because I am so thankful for everything. But overall great job on this blog could be a little bit longer but why am I castigating you I mean I am posting this comment so late.
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ReplyDeleteThanksgiving is a time in which one is to reflect upon the blessings in their life. Now, I would usually say that I am thankful for friends and family however, for the purpose of this blog, I will be omitting them. This is not to say that I am not thankful for them, it just means that I am grateful for other things in addition to my family and friends. Seeing that I have done a bit of maturing, I have learned to value several different things in my life. By valuing these non-materialistic elements, I have realized that I take one of these things completely for granted. Without further hesitation I would like to share these elements with each and every one of you. The number one thing that I am thankful for is my health insurance. The second reason for my being thankful is my personality/ sense of humor. The third thing that I am thankful for, which will probably cause my friends to scream, is Tumblr. Without all three of these factors, I would not be the person that I am today.
Perhaps the reason why I treasure my health insurance above all else is because of the experiences that I had during my sophomore year of high school. It all started with me having a minor surgery. The cost of the procedure and the pain killers were picked up by the insurance company. Something went south with the medication that I was taking and I was out of school for a week. This landed me back in the doctor's office, which was also covered by insurance. Just as I started to recover, I managed to encounter gastrointestinal complications. I had three doctor's visits before anyone realized that I wasn't experience your average bout of constipation. I was prescribed Nexium twice in order to repair the lining of my stomach and laxatives to help get things moving. Once again, insurance was there to handle the costs. Just when the insurance company thought I was doing well, I surprised them with the expenses of both a colonoscopy and an endoscopy! Needless to say, without insurance I would not have had been able to gain access to the procedures and medications. Had I not been able to gain access to these things, I would have had an even rockier sophomore year.
Secondly, I am extremely thankful for my personality and my sense of humor. When it comes to my personality, I have been told that I tend to be rather awkward (I feel as though I am growing out of this, though). My friends also know me as the girl that can love almost anyone. When my friends saw my sophomore year crush for the very first time, I am more than sure that they wanted to vomit. He has a muscular upper body which causes him to walk like Donkey Kong. Someone told me that he looks like Count Olaf because of his goatee. I was even informed that he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. None of this mattered to me though. I noticed that he was polite, had quite the appetite (he would come to class with the most absurd meals imaginable for nine o'clock in the morning), he's hilarious, and that he is quite the handsome fellow. He has been the muse to several of the entries in my journal. If I had not been so loving, I would have absolutely loathed him. Not only would I have loathed this guy, I would have been far less likely to accept everyone around me.
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ReplyDeleteMy sense of humor, on the other hand, it quite aberrant. All of the jokes in "This is the End" made me laugh. I guess one could say that I have a somewhat crude sense of humor. About a year ago, one of my classmate tried to scold me for not having a "sophisticated" sense of humor. I wasn't offended, but I was confused. I couldn't understand how another 16 year old could commit themself to laughing solely at highbrow jokes. When it comes to humor, one should be able to laugh freely unless it is at someone's expense. I do not discriminate when it comes to a joke. As long as no one is being harmed, I will laugh until my stomach starts to hurt and until tears are running down from my eyes. I really don't see why people feel the need to be so stiff. Laughing has been one of the things that has prevented me from going absolutely insane over this past year.
The very last thing that I am thankful for is the fact that I joined Tumblr. Not only has Tumblr introduced me to a plethora of things that are going awry in this world, it has helped me realize that there are other people just like me in existence. Stressed out teenagers are everywhere. We would rather sleep than deal with what is going on around us. We laugh at the same stupid jokes and fall in love with characters from books. We even went crazy over the new release of "The Great Gatsby". I am so glad that I got a chance to see that I wasn't the only one who felt like this regarding life. Tumblr has open my eyes to a life that doesn't revolve around school work and constant stress. I feel at home when I log onto Tumblr; I know I truly belong.
At the end of the day, whether or not I am coming from the doctor's office or not, I still manage to find a reason to smile. Sometimes I sit back and wonder whether or not if I will even have a stomach by the time I am 40. I usually joke with my mother that if something does happen to my stomach, I can just put a designer handbag in its place seeing as they are build to withstand the hands of time. When I am done stressing and joking, I turn on my computer to spend more time with my blogging family on Tumblr. I am thankful for all of these things and many more; I don't know what kind of person I would be without my insurance, my personality/ sense of humor, and Tumblr. I do not know nor do I wish to find out.
Every year around the time of Thanksgiving, you are always asked the same question.. “what are you thankful for?” This is the most cliché question for this particular holiday, and you always get the most original responses. Every since I was a child I’ve always said things like my family, or my friends, or even the house that I live in. I am more than grateful for the people and the materialistic things in my life, but I’m also thankful for other things. I spend most of my free hours just pondering what life would be like if I wasn’t as privileged as I am, I stand back and picture my life without half of the things I have, and I can’t even imagine how different things would be. I always take a moment to realize just how lucky I am, and than begin to visually list points in my head, one by one how many things I am grateful for.
ReplyDeleteI’m thankful for every mistake I’ve made in the past, I’m positive that they made me the strong and independent teenager that I am today. I learned so many things from my mistakes, that could have blinded me if I didn’t stumble upon those different challenges. I believe every day that challenges you, is a new beginning to change the way you want to live. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way. I learned that nothing in life gets handed to you, you have to work just as hard as the next person. Making mistakes plays a big role in everyone’s lives. Having three sisters all around the same age in general is just rowdy, and you’re prove to make a mistake. Growing up I swear I was the only one to ever do anything wrong, like when I got my first phone in third grade and then got it taken away for texting a boy, or another time in first grade when I got my name written on the board for taking to many paper towels. You would think the fact that my dad is a state trooper and has access to a lie detector at any time would make me afraid to lie, but nope I lied my whole way up until middle school. I forged my parents signatures on bad test grades, and a whole lot of other crap. Those stupid little kid mistakes though created a path of success when I finally decided to be a good kid, and step into the light that my family was shining so bright in my eyes and I’ll I had to do was agree to follow all the way down. I can tell you that the big mistakes that made my parents upset taught me a lesson alone. If it wasn’t for stumbling through the obstacles of life, I can tell you I would not be as strong as I am today. I wouldn’t be able to stand up to people before, like I can now, because I also made mistakes like letting people walk all over me.
On the bright side to all of this, I’ll have some good stories to tell my kids when I’m older, and also my parents, when I’m all moved out of the house with my own family! ;)
Being thankful for the mistakes you’ve made is such a good thing to be thankful for! I didn’t even think of that when writing my post. I always tell people that I don’t have regrets because everything happens for a reason and if you didn’t make mistakes then you wouldn’t have anything to learn from. It is very good that you’ve realized that you can learn from your mistakes because many people haven’t realized this yet. I really like how you went outside the box and said you were thankful for something that many other people didn’t even think of. Good job, Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteGratitude and thankfulness, two themes central to the Thanksgiving ideal and yet so detached, is the real question at hand. Obviously, in the direction this blog post is encouraging us, I am going to consider what about myself I am thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for my lack of temper. Some may be quick to characterize it as a state of dispassion, but it is honestly one of the things that I cherish about myself. My dad, alike me in most ways, is quite the opposite; he is very aggressive and has quite a propensity to anger. Seeing how that complicates his life has certainly made me more appreciative of what my mom describes as a stunning lack of temper. Another thing I’m thankful for is my vulnerability to comic relief. I can attribute my entire emotional stability to my ability to make light of all situations, serious or otherwise. Perhaps it’s a sign of immaturity, but the way I can find instant release through humor is a luxury I could not be more thankful for. I’m thankful for my ability to connect things that may seem otherwise entirely disjointed. Just as Ms. Bunje says in the blog, using the knowledge I already have to help uncover the knowledge I am ignorant too is a power too great to describe, but one I am certainly thankful for. I am of course thankful for my life circumstances. I am middle-class in the United States with a loving family. How many people would kill for that deal? It’s almost impossible not to be thankful for that, merely by my knowledge of how many people who do not have that. I’m thankful for being in the community I’m in, and for all the friends, teachers, coaches, and the like that have encouraged and consoled me. That’s something that you just can’t count on, but something you are amazed at when it happens. Finally, I’m thankful for being who I am and no one else. Having an identity and being aware of it is something that I think most people in their adolescence find difficult to attain. I am Neil Philip – I am thankful for that and I’ll never apologize for it. Never before and never will there be any person on the planet exactly like me. The sheer magnitude of that statement makes it clear why I am so thankful for being myself. Happy Thanksgiving guys!
ReplyDeleteI often wonder what it must be like to not have a temper. I am so used to reacting quickly and angrily to things that bother me that I can only imagine how nice it must be to not get so pissed at little things.
DeleteIt could also be symptomatic of an inactive amygdala, but let's assume it's cause lies in the prefrontal cortex. (By that I mean in my personality)
DeleteI would like to see what it's like to not have a temper. I sometimes attempt to contain my temper in its entirety, but I don't actually know if it is possible to do so. I think that you are pretty lucky to absolutely know who you are at this age, and I have to say that I am a bit jealous.
DeleteWhat are you thankful for? That’s the question that’s asked by our teachers every single year around Thanksgiving. We have been asked this same question since elementary school and I always have a hard time thinking of what I’m really thankful for. However, I always end up answering my family, as we grow older, we realize that there really is much more to be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteAfter all of what I just said, I’m thankful to be living the life that I live today. I’m thankful to just be alive. It’s something that I write about, but I truly am thankful to be alive today. A mosquito that carried the dengue virus, which led me to contract dengue fever, bit me. I’m thankful that my mom had a suspicion that I contracted it, quickly called her friend that was a doctor and somehow secured me a room to a packed hospital. I’m thankful for all the nurses and doctors that helped nurse me back to health and allowed me to be where I am today. If it wasn’t for them and all the medical equipment and medicine that was available to us, I might not be here today.
Before this, my mom was getting our papers ready for us to be able to immigrate to the United States. Being able to go the United States is something that I am very thankful. Don’t get me wrong. I love the Philippines. However, it isn’t exactly a very wealthy country. It’s actually considered a third world country. Many people that live a privileged life complain about their life, but they don’t know what it’s like to not have a roof on top of their house. As we know, Typhoon Yolanda, known as Haiyan here, recently hit the Philippines. Due to this, thousands of people lost their homes and lost their lives. The sad part is the Philippines was just recovering from an earthquake that just struck a different part of the country. It’s horrible to see just how bad the situation is in my home country. Other countries are sending over money to help aid the victims, but it’s sickening to hear that Filipinos are actually worried about the government taking the money for themselves and not using it to help the victims. We’re lucky enough to have to deal with such things here in the U.S.
As I write this, I realize just how privileged we are to be able to live in America. I’ve always been skeptical about moving here, but I now realize that living in America provides me with endless opportunities. You just have to find it in yourself to actually capitalize on the opportunity that’s given to you. No matter how much I avoid it, I have to say that I’m thankful for my family. My parents left the comfort of their home country to move to a place that gave us, their children, more opportunity. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to live life in the United States comfortably. I wouldn’t be able to have endless opportunities to pursue my dream. I wouldn’t be able to be typing this on a computer. If it weren’t for the sacrifices and hard work of my parents, I wouldn’t be the same person I am today. I am thankful for being able to wake up and experience life. With that, I hope you all have a happy thanksgiving! ☺
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ReplyDeleteLast night I went to a Twenty One Pilots concert in Philly, and I waited outside for about two hours in 20 degree weather in the pouring rain with Emily Hoang. By the time I got inside the venue, I thought I got frostbite because I couldn’t feel my feet. As I made my way to the barricade through the cluster of Pilots’ fans, I found myself getting squished to the point in which I could barely move my arms let alone turn around in place. Why would I stand in the freezing cold for two hours and put myself in a position that is uncomfortable beyond belief just to see a band perform you say? For one, seeing a band perform live and in person is ten million times better than just listening or watching a recording. Not only is it more moving, but you get to have that specific experience. There is something about not being able to move in a pit full of sweaty people screaming out the lyrics to the songs and dancing like they’ll never dance again. During the concert, Tyler was talking to the audience, and he said something that I couldn’t say better myself. He said something along the lines of, “You have to really love our music if you are all willing to stand in a pit full of sweaty people, and I think this concept is weird but also beautiful because you are all strangers that are connected by something that we all share a love for.” Last night while waiting in line, Emily and I met these two really awesome girls from Pennsylvania who were also really big Pilot’s fans, and we instantly hit it off. I’ve come to find that it is so much easier to make friends at concerts because you already know that you have something in common: you love the band and you are in the only comfortable social situation in which you can entirely be yourself and not care about what anyone thinks because you know that they are doing the exact same thing. I’m grateful for music in general because connects everything in my eyes; it connects people, interests, feelings, fears, ideas, and so much more.
For a while, I felt like I lost myself because I didn’t really know who I was anymore, and I didn’t know why I was doing what I was doing. I lost all motivation, so I eventually just accepted it and tricked myself into believing that there was a reason so that I could ease my mind. Last night at the Pilots’ concert, I finally found what I was looking for. Before Tyler played my favorite Pilots’ song (Addict With A Pen), he gave a speech about remembering why we were there at that concert and that if we need to pretend that we are alone in the room, we should close our eyes and dance like we are. So that’s what I did regardless of the fact that I had other people’s bodies touching me from three directions. I danced like I was the only person in the room, and I thought about why I was there. I was there because they’re music picks me up down and raises me higher when I already am happy. Their music explains the feelings that I’ve never been able to explain. Even though, “shadows will scream that I’m alone,” I know that I’m not because of them. I know that it is okay to be myself because of them. I perform because I don’t always feel comfortable with showing certain sides of myself in everyday life, and I need some sort of outlet. I love having rehearsals with Danielle Salvatierra because we only rehearse seriously for 30 minutes to an hour, and the rest of the time, we just sing our hearts out while I dance spastically.
So. I will start this off by saying that I put off blogs. Often. Probably more than anyone else. Definitely more. I do it not because I’m lazy, but because I’m uninspired and not a fan of writing pages on pages of fluff, though I’ve been forced to a few times. I’m like a writer with writer’s block. An artist with no muse. But calling myself that would be wildly arrogant, and I’m certainly not a writer either. But the point is, today I found myself struck by divine inspiration.
ReplyDeleteIt came to me while Gabbie was going off with something about a girl at the Pilots concert last night, and (sorry Gabbie) I just kind of drifted off midway. And I could’ve been hit by it because I was worried I still had work to do tonight, or that I didn’t think I had time to help for Thanksgiving prep, or because all of a sudden I realized the importance of conversation and how that one moment to listen was passing me by and the weight of the universe was depending on my ability to live within a moment and I was wasting my life away and so on and so on… But it doesn’t matter why it came to me. I just realized that the ability to speak and to hear was what mattered most to me. To understand and be understood is pretty darn magical.
The act of speaking and what’s actually gained from it makes up a lot of what goes on in a day and who we are as people. Daily interaction comes from speech because not only is it necessary for survival, but it makes things worthwhile. Talking to people is good, but it’s not just for the sake of being social. To be understood is to be accepted, and is one of the basic parts on the hierarchy of needs mentioned in another blog. To me personally it makes living worthwhile, which might be a dangerous thing to say. But I just don’t know what I’m made up of or what I would be if it weren’t for the influences of everyone else.
The importance of understanding other people is hardly a new concept, and it isn’t anything original, and I don’t know if anyone else would ever bother to care, but I like to know how people feel and I like them to know how I feel, too. It’s been established that honesty is one of the things I value the most, and in order to have any amount of it being able to relate to people is important. When we truly understand we are able to empathize, and of course I feel like if people did that more we’d be in a better place.
Today during our small group dinner I was at when I had my little epiphany, we all got to talk to one another and spent way more time sitting and doing that than it took to finish some soup, one piece of pizza, two sandwiches, and some bread. It was pretty nice. I said some things I normally wouldn’t say, and the fact that we all just got to unwind after all the ridiculousness was pretty nice. Feeling close to such a ‘new’ group of people isn’t really something I’m used to. Which is another thing that might be sad to say, but it’s the truth.
Also, sorry if this might seem off-topic. I don’t really think it is, but I am being overly mushy. Blame the holidays. And I don’t know if I was only supposed to write about one thing, but I’m a simple-minded girl I suppose. Sorry.
I'm somewhat glad that you stopped listening to me because I'm glad that you were able to have this great epiphany that we also happened to discuss in Matlack's class today when he asked us what we are thankful for and I said Twenty One Pilots and everyone laughed...whatever. I'm fine with keeping them to myself. Anyway, I've come to find that the conversations our group of friends has in person is much more stimulating than our Skype conversations about Catbug and other small talk that I can never remember. So, my point is that talking to people is a good thing, but sometimes you should consider listening *cough* not forgiven *cough*. I'm just kidding...it's fine.
DeleteWell it can be a little hard to have stimulating conversation when we're writing blogs that don't really get posted until 1-3 a.m. *cough* I blame you *cough* but well I'm sort glad I drifted, too. I hear enough about Twenty One Pilots. Just kidding. Don't hurt me. But I'm just worried I didn't properly articulate what I meant to say. In fact I know I didn't. Maybe the general idea is understood, but the execution was poor. But anyway. Yes. The talks are nice. And well-needed.
DeleteThe feeling of being understood is probably one of the greatest feelings in the world. We are all unique individuals that can somehow connect through simple conversation and I think that is pretty magnificent. By being able to understand others and be understood, it brings us all together in order to create a special bond.
DeleteWow Taty and Emily you are so right I mean talking and listening is the number one form of communication and that by doing this people are able to form a special bond. Speaking and listening is how people convey to personality and emotions and from this relationship are form. Since I don’t have great social skill I find making friends to be very difficult and that people start to form a negative view with me at first. But after people actually get to know me and from this we become friends. I see how speaking and talking are very important in your life and this concept escaped from me because of the fact of my horrible social skills. But any way great job on this blog taty and trust me you aren’t the only one pushing the blog till 1-3:00 am.
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ReplyDeleteIt was so awe-inspiring to see Tyler’s quirkiness up close. I cried when Tyler sang Addict with a Pen because I listen to that song whenever life decides to throw rocks at me or when I’m writing because the dramatic inflection he has in his voice when he sings that song basically sums up my feelings. It means more than anything to me to see that someone has similar feelings despite the possibility that those feelings may have different causes. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I forget my reason for performing in plays and concerts and band sessions. It’s because I don’t have to care about what other people think of me because I am doing what I love and I’m being myself and nothing else matters at that very moment. I guess that’s why I love Twenty One Pilots so much. Tyler and Josh and their tech crew alike are able to embrace their quirkiness and overcome their sadness and other obstacles to be where they are today…happy and surrounded by people who love them.
If it weren’t for Twenty One Pilots, I don’t think I would have come to this realization for a while because the other bands I listen to are much more upbeat and not as tear-worthy. I don’t think I would be the same person I am today if I never heard Twenty One Pilots. I would have never even considered rap, so I would never get into Watsky, and I probably would stick to my meaningless pop music with repetitive beats and my lack of true introspection. I definitely wouldn’t be writing the way I’m writing or be feeling the way I’m feeling. They give me a sense of happiness that I sometimes can’t acquire through people or television or acting. Music has this beautiful method of connecting everything I love which creates this exploding blob of excitement and happiness that I can’t seem to contain. Twenty One Pilots gets me and many others through the toughest of times, and I don’t think that I could ever fully show my gratitude for that. I could give them a million dollars and still feel like I owe them something because no amount of money or material gifts or hugs could fully pay for an everlasting source of happiness.
I feel like people have this misconception that in order to be thankful for something, others must be missing it. For me, however, that is not the case. What I am thankful for is something everyone has. I am thankful to be a human. I’m so in love with being one; it’s magical if you really think about it. We can feel, and listen and appreciate EVERYTHING (why some of us I don’t breaks my heart). So as I sit here typing my blog, while my sister and her friend sleep by the warmth of my woodstove in the living room, and my mom falls into a slumber with her boyfriend (you can tell by the deafening snore) I appreciate the beauty in the relationships we have with each other. It really actually brings tears to my eyes how beautiful this life is. Don’t judge me for crying while typing this. I sit here on my floor listening to the wind and the wind chimes and they sound so beautiful. It really sounds like an orchestra of the night. I’m so thankful that I never gave in to those depressing thoughts, I still can’t believe I would ever think such a decision was rational. I really am so thankful to just be alive that I can feel and listen and love. I’m thankful for everyone and their beautiful minds. How we can form an opinion, I still cannot fathom, nor the complexities of just being a human. So instead I remain just thankful that I am here experiencing the amazing life of a human. I sit and I listen and I just enjoy. Even when I listen to something hurtful I can’t help but feel the love for the individual’s complexity, how they can feel so angry about something. I’m so thankful to be here with you wonderful people.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love how you manage to find beauty in such simple and unappreciated things in life. This kind of reminds me of Neil's OP when he spoke about his little brother playing in the dead leaves. I really like that you are able to keep that childlike awe in things like that. The world seems like such a more beautiful place when you stop and just appreciate the simple yet complex concept of nature.
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DeleteWow that was amazing Danielle. I really like how you are always so happy and optimistic. I would have never thought something even simple like being a human being. This is what happens to everybody in that since we take thing for granted we don’t appreciate things. I mention stuff but you mention something I would never though of since I take being a human for granted. But overall great job on this blog.
DeleteThat was really well done. I love how you feel about humanity and being a human in general, you always bring up my mood with your opinions. You're so right that most people don't appreciate what we have, and it's a shame that they don't. Being a human is an amazing experience. Great post, bro
DeleteThe typical “What are you thankful for?” question always seems to bug me. As cynical as it may sound, I am so sick of hearing this question every Thanksgiving. I’m sick of hearing the same answers to the same question. However, as I sit hear pondering about how exactly I should approach this question, I find it hard to come up with a response that doesn’t sound so cliché. Yes, I am very thankful to have people in my life that love and care about me and of course I am thankful for having the privileges that I have in order to live a decent life. For some reason, those answers seem so common and generic to me. It’s as if they have lost a special meaning. So I would like to talk about something trivial that I am actually a little too grateful for. Music is something that I have always admired but in the past year I noticed myself constantly using it as my escape to happiness. Sometimes my pessimistic thoughts tend to overpower me to the point where some days I feel as if I am physically sick from all the negativity. In those cases, I can always rely on music to revive me. It seems so ridiculous to be grateful for something generally depicted as irrelevant to this type of conversation. I feel a bit absurd for writing a post about this topic but the importance of music in life is generally underrated. By simply creating rhythmic beats and adding poetic lyrics, you have the ability of generating something beautifully powerful. The influence that music has on the human mind is something so complex that I don’t think anyone could ever fully explain it. I am thankful to have something in my life that can instantly brighten up my mood. As pathetic as it sounds, music is one of the few things in life that I can always count on to bring me joy. Even though I am expected to be the most thankful for my family and friends, sometimes those things aren’t a very reliable source of delight. I have mentioned before that happiness is the equivalent to success and music seems to be my main source of bliss. The fact that it can be shared and enjoyed by so many different people from so many different places is what I appreciate the most about music. One simple tune can create a special bond between a large group of people and within this group you are sure to find many elated souls. I am grateful for the existence of music because it has not only helped me through rough times but it has also helped and healed many other lives that may have been going through greater life obstacles. Yesterday, I got the opportunity to attend a concert in Philly along with Gabbie. Even though the temperature was severely cold and the rain was awfully dreadful, we were willing enough to stand in line outside for about two hours before the concert. In the end, the misery we went through was all worthwhile. Not only were we able to view the show from the front row, we also got the opportunity to meet new people and share our love of music with each other despite the fact that we were all essentially strangers. As I watched the band perform the songs I fell in love with, I couldn’t help but smile and jump giddily. Here on this stage were two guys who have created something that brings me joy even when I’m down in the dumps. I took the time to appreciate those moments last night when the whole crowd was filled with cheerful faces and positive energy. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to go through such a beautiful experience. Moments of pure happiness is something rare and I am thankful for music because it is essentially the origin of my bliss. I view music as an artistic form of expression. Through music, I am able to easily express my feelings and personality in ways that I never could before. It has changed my mindset and it has also inspired me to view different situations through different perspectives. If it weren’t for music, I would just be a dull, uninspired person mindlessly running through daily life.
ReplyDeleteThough I do enjoy often reminding you that you have no soul, evidently when it comes to music and the great Pilots it isn't true. That was pretty beautiful to read. Music is something we all turn to, and I don't really think you can say it's completely irrelevant. A lot of people talked about something music - related. Or arts related at least. It's one of the universal loves, if there are any.
DeleteBy the way, your trend is showing.
I know I'm just so trendy. Too much trend too handle.
DeleteBeing grateful for music is not stupid at all! It’s actually something that many people are thankful for and they just don’t realize it. After reading your post I’ve realized that I am very thankful for music as well. If we didn’t have music no one could dance, no one could sing, and no one could simply listen to music to let off steam. Around the holiday season families usually come together and listen to the old famous Christmas music, without music we couldn’t do this. Great blog post, it’s something very unique that many other people didn’t think of. Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteA lot of people talked about music as something they are thankful for. And though I never mentioned it, which I probably should have, I can totally understand that you think so highly of it. I can agree with you whole heartedly. Music is definitely one of the most accessible, blissful and safest escapes. It's the same in every language and brings everyone together as one.
DeleteBy the way. I can not tell you how jealous I am that you got to see 21 Pilots
As I am sitting here thinking about the question I have to answer every year, which I find difficult because my teacher makes it seem I have to put just one answer. I always go straight toward the usual family and friends answer. But this year I have to go deeper and so to do that I first made a list of what I am most thankful for. After coming up with a list I found that I have a lot things that I am thankful and that got me thinking in that instead of just writing about one thing I am thankful how about I write how I am thankful for the fact that I have all these things to be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for the fact that I can live in a house, live with a great family, have great friends, and the fact that I am able to go to school and have an education. These maybe simple things but they mean a lot to me and I am just thankful that I have a whole list of things that I am grateful for. What I am trying to say is that a lot of people in the world don’t have home, family, or even friends and I do have a home and friends and family. I am sure tons of people do have these things and that the thing everybody has tons of things to be thankful for and I am thankful for the fact that we are able to have these things. “What we are thankful for “ is really all the good things in our lives and by having so much good things in our lives makes me want to cry with joy. I sometimes give some thought about it maybe subconsciously, but never really appreciate all the good things we have. It a shame because all these things maybe what other people want in their life but they cant have it and here we are surrounded by so many of it and don’t give thanks for it is a shame. Many people take living in a house for granted while other sleep in a box. Things like opportunities, life, and family are important things no doubt but they are not the only good things in life because there are so many factor that can contribute to a good life including education, music ability to speak and hear are other things that are important.
I don’t know if you fully understand it because I felt that I didn’t explain well enough but what I want to say is that every life has so many good things in it and to give thanks back it is very important. But I didn’t want to explain just one good thing like education or family. I wanted to explain how thankful I am to just have a list on the “stuff that I am thankful for”. Many people don’t have a lot of these things and other do and we should give thanks for it but many of us don’t and that is a shame. So I am thankful for the fact that we are able to have so many good things.
I am thankful for my ability to forgive and forget. I've noticed that sometimes the hardest thing for people to do is forgive one another, they hold on to grudges for years and it doesn't hurt anyone but themselves. Don't get me wrong though, sometimes forgiveness takes a long time to be earned but sometimes people make it take too long. Ever since I was little, I would forgive people very easily. It's hard for me to stay mad for more than an hour and if you say you're sorry, I'll believe you. I'll forgive you. I'll move on. Thanks to this I feel like I have been able to save many friendships and relationships with people. Although I do see the problem with easily forgiving, sometimes people take advantage of it and think they can push me around. After a while though, I stop forgiving. I just stop associating myself with that person because they don't deserve to be forgiven anymore. I'm talking about forgiveness a lot and that's because i think it's a really important trait to have. If we just all go around never forgiving one another, this whole world would be full of anger and animosity. But the most important person to forgive will always be yourself. I know it sounds cliche and you know this already but still some people struggle to do it and that's okay. Sometimes it's hardest to forgive yourself for whatever you've done, you can't get over your past mistakes, I know, I've been there. It can be a bit frightening to forgive even for the smallest things, but an old, wise man once said "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
ReplyDeleteI know that we weren't supposed to talk about our family and friends. I know that. It's the easy way out and is a very cliché statement to blurt out that that's the sole thing we are thankful for. But I guess I can look at it in a different way and say that I am thankful for my dad, but for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was the person who taught me how to ride a bike. He made me chocolate milk and took me to the park everyday when I wasn't even tall enough yet to hoist myself up on the swing set. He was my partner in crime and the superhero in my story. But as I got older, he was the person that was always the hardest on me. He set standards an had a specific mindset of what I should be like as a person. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's this evil father who is never pleased by anything I do. He has a reason for being so tough on me. I'm not going to go into vast detail because it's not my place to share with the world, but growing up, he was very poor, in an abusive family and did everything for himself. And the fact that he went from homeless, to putting himself through school and law school, he believes that his children should be as sufficient to his ideals in the same way. Though most of the time I don't meet those expectations, and we don't get along sometimes because we're on different pages, I am very thankful for him and this aspect on a relationship because I'm the way I am because of him. My mindset is a very outgoing one, and I certainly believe that I would not be in the classes am, on the sports team I am, and have the things I do if I didn't have my dad in my life. The drive he gave me (and the compulsive need to please him...) has allowed me to open doors for myself that I probably would have never thought to reach for.
So in a way, I did do what I wasn't supposed to and talk about a family member. But what I was trying to get to throughout this blog post was that I'm thankful for what he gave me in the sense of direction and the need to succeed and find what I want in life.