Why, you ask, are you where you are and doing what you are doing? The answer is FATE! Fate, "...the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny..." (dictionary.com). Everything in life happens for a reason, very clique I know, but I believe it to be a very true statement.
Many peple believe that they determine the fate of their life because they have made deicisions and choices to get them where they are, or want to be. However I believe that you may make your own decisions, but it is all part of the "plan" in order to help you get to the end of your journey. So while you think you are making a choice based on what you want to do/what you think you should do, it has already been decided that that was the choice you were suppose to make.
During August 2001, I remember my parents telling me that we would be moving from Minnesota to New Jersey and that I would have to say goodbye to my sister, brother, and all my friends. I thought it was the worst thing that could ever happen and that it was as though I was being punished for something, and I could not figure out what good would come from it, it meaning leaving my life behind me in Minnesota to go to a foreign place. Those first 3-6 months I never thought of it as fate and destiny, but once I settled down and realized the wonderful life that came from it, the relationship I formed with my parents, and all the new people I met my attitude and thoughts changed. It was fate that brought us to New Jersey. Moving was only the first challenge of my life that I would have to overcome, and that was what opened the doors and my eyes to see that it was only the beginning and I was still so young and naive.
Since then there have been friendships, relationships, fights, trips, marriages, new life brought into the world, and much more. All of which happened for a reason. All of these struggles and joys were the little humps of the "roller coaster of life" (that is designed before we are born and with out us knowing). You meet and make new friends in order to bring something different to your life, whether it be happines, saddness, joy, or sorrow it happened for a reason and helped develope you into who you are now. Whether you did or did not learn from it that was all apart of the plan. So get use to the heart ache and trials now, only to enjoy all the good and wonderful accomplishments that comes from fate in the end.
Death... this is one area of fate that is a real touchy subject, and until I experience losing someone I do not think I fully understood it. You dont' want them to go. You don't want to live and be happy with out them. You don't want to lose those memories over time. You don't want the smell and images to disappear. How ever, it is all apart of their fate and their life. Especially if they have suffered immensely it is time for that pain and suffering to go away. They have delt with it long enough, and they have lived their life to the fullest. It is their destiny to end it there.
On a larger scale, the terroristic attacks on Septemer 11, 2001, fate or not? As horrible as it may be to say, I beleive that those planes crashing into the towers was fate and already "planned." No, no one should lose their life, and no one should lose a loved one because of what happened that day. How ever you have to look at it in such a way that because of this even the United States has come together as 1 (more than in the past). Just like any horrible, tragic even that happens we study it and learn from it, just like we are able to with 9-11. Yes, it is horrible to believe that it was the fate of those people to die in such a tragic and horrific way, but maybe they had already fullfilled their "plan" and that is why they were there.
Everyone knows what awaits them at the end of their life, death. While you may believe that your life ended the way it did because you chose it that way, I disagree and believe that your life ended the way it did because that is how it was destined to end.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Right or wrong?
Blonde hair, blue eyes, skinny, smart, white, hard working, and successful are the necessities to the “perfect” son/daughter. Parents just want their children to fit in, and not have to go through the every day struggles of being a child. How ever, is this “perfect” child really realistic? Yes, there is the possibility of genetic engineering and being able to create your son/daughter to the specific requirements you want. How ever, because of the persona, societal, and economic issues that will arise due to genetic engineering, parents should not be given this particular option in hopes of having the “perfect” child.
“You’re fat… you’re ugly… you’re dumb… you are totally not cool…” are just a few of the horrible phrases that children hear on a day-to-day basis while growing up. No one wants to be spoken to or treated this way, and no parents’ wishes this upon their children. Unfortunately this is just a part of childhood, and how children act until they are taught better. I know that many people think and feel that if you could eliminate this part of life, and remove all the pain and embarrassment of being made fun of causes that their lives would be much better. How ever, I believe that getting through all these struggles and horrible comments is what makes a person stronger and have more confidence and self-esteem. If you take that away from a child, then how are they going to become strong and feel better about themselves? No, this does not always work, as seen in the children that cannot take being made fun of any more and either take it out on themselves (suicide) or on others (school shootings). There are some children, though, that use being made fun of and being treated unfairly as a high, and they do every thing in their power to prove all the “bullies” wrong and become the most successful people in our world today.
When the idea of genetically engineering children is brought up the following question always follows, who would have the right to do this and how much would it cost? If this turns out to be a very expensive process then only the wealthy would be able have this as an option. It would be another thing that the wealthy would be able to do/have that the non wealthy would not, and their children would be the ones to suffer from it. Parents think that there is too much discrimination going on now days with everyone being born the same way, that would change dramatically. Those children that are not genetically engineered would be looked down upon, even more so than normally. They would not be seen as “perfect” and they would not have the specialties that the genetically engineered children have. There would not only be the normal discrimination against the disabled, the colored, the poor and more, but also against who is “perfect” and who is “savage” (as they say in A Brave New World). If there were a cost issue, which there probably would be unless it leas to eugenics (which is just topic more horrible than this), then you would have half the population “perfect” and the other population “not perfect” and that would cause many societal and economic issues. What would happen to those “not perfect” children, and their future? Would they be out of jobs because the “perfect” children are able to do it themselves? It would cause complete chaos. In A Brave New World we see how the genetically engineered people treat John, they find him to be WEIRD. They thought they were so much better than him, and they could not accept him for him, but only as a science experiment almost. Unfortunately that is what I see the outcome of genetic engineering as.
We live in a country where there are so many people that cannot even afford to buy groceries every week, let alone genetically engineer their children as the wealthy people could possibly be doing, so they are going to be looked down upon as savages and not be accepted. I believe that parents having the right to genetically engineering their children will just cause more discrimination against their children and more struggles for them growing up. Parents need to just accept how their children are born, naturally, and what they will grow up to become. They should not mess with something that is suppose to be natural.
“You’re fat… you’re ugly… you’re dumb… you are totally not cool…” are just a few of the horrible phrases that children hear on a day-to-day basis while growing up. No one wants to be spoken to or treated this way, and no parents’ wishes this upon their children. Unfortunately this is just a part of childhood, and how children act until they are taught better. I know that many people think and feel that if you could eliminate this part of life, and remove all the pain and embarrassment of being made fun of causes that their lives would be much better. How ever, I believe that getting through all these struggles and horrible comments is what makes a person stronger and have more confidence and self-esteem. If you take that away from a child, then how are they going to become strong and feel better about themselves? No, this does not always work, as seen in the children that cannot take being made fun of any more and either take it out on themselves (suicide) or on others (school shootings). There are some children, though, that use being made fun of and being treated unfairly as a high, and they do every thing in their power to prove all the “bullies” wrong and become the most successful people in our world today.
When the idea of genetically engineering children is brought up the following question always follows, who would have the right to do this and how much would it cost? If this turns out to be a very expensive process then only the wealthy would be able have this as an option. It would be another thing that the wealthy would be able to do/have that the non wealthy would not, and their children would be the ones to suffer from it. Parents think that there is too much discrimination going on now days with everyone being born the same way, that would change dramatically. Those children that are not genetically engineered would be looked down upon, even more so than normally. They would not be seen as “perfect” and they would not have the specialties that the genetically engineered children have. There would not only be the normal discrimination against the disabled, the colored, the poor and more, but also against who is “perfect” and who is “savage” (as they say in A Brave New World). If there were a cost issue, which there probably would be unless it leas to eugenics (which is just topic more horrible than this), then you would have half the population “perfect” and the other population “not perfect” and that would cause many societal and economic issues. What would happen to those “not perfect” children, and their future? Would they be out of jobs because the “perfect” children are able to do it themselves? It would cause complete chaos. In A Brave New World we see how the genetically engineered people treat John, they find him to be WEIRD. They thought they were so much better than him, and they could not accept him for him, but only as a science experiment almost. Unfortunately that is what I see the outcome of genetic engineering as.
We live in a country where there are so many people that cannot even afford to buy groceries every week, let alone genetically engineer their children as the wealthy people could possibly be doing, so they are going to be looked down upon as savages and not be accepted. I believe that parents having the right to genetically engineering their children will just cause more discrimination against their children and more struggles for them growing up. Parents need to just accept how their children are born, naturally, and what they will grow up to become. They should not mess with something that is suppose to be natural.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
What I am Thankful for!
There are some days when my family just makes me want to scream, pull my hair, and cry all at the same time. Whether it is because my parents are disappointed in my grades, whether I didn't do a chore or two, or whether I am taking after my brother (the screw up) more when I should be taking after my sister more (the perfect one), even though I see the roles differently. Some days it is caused by my brother being a lazy bum and not doing anything around the house, or he's playing the over protective brother role too much. Then of course there is my sister who is two and a half hours away, I hardly see or talk to her, and when I do she plays the mother role more than the sister role. It seems like these incidents are the ones that always stand out the most, instead of the good ones.
Thankfully, though, I am able to look past all the annoyance, anger, and dislike and remember that my family is the absolute most important thing in my life, and the one thing I am MOST thankful for!
My parents have been not only my parents my whole life, but my best friends for the past 6 years. Living in a one bedroom and one bathroom hotel room with them for three months, you learn a lot and grow even closer, especially when they were the only people you had. They have been there for me through everything; the transition of moving and going to 3 schools in one year, my figure skating and all the ups and downs with that, school and the rigorous load I've put on myself every year, boyfriends and the horrible break ups and tears (which is when they take me for ice cream, buy me a stuffed animal, and make me breakfast), and last but certainly not least inappropriate issues and situations I was in. Yes friends are always nice to have in these situations, but my parents are better friends to me than most of my friends. If I did not have them during all of this I definitely would not have known what to do, or have pulled through as strongly as I did. They are my parents and my best friends and I am so thankful to have them. I know I am their baby and the idea of me going to college is hard, but I don't think that will break what we have.
Growing up as a child, and through most of my teenage life my sister was the next closes person to me. While she still is extremely close to me, it has not been the same since she got married and started a family of her own (which was to be expected). I still love her more than anything in the world and could never replace her. However since she lives so far away and has her family to worry about now, and my brother is living at home again, it just made sense that him and I would become so close some people think we are inseparable (which is kind of true). Our brother-sister relationship has grown into such a friendship it is almost scary. We went from always fighting and arguing growing up, to constantly going out to shop or get food, to even working at the ice rink together. He is always there for me to vent to about mom and dad, friends, school, boys, and work (even though it usually goes in one ear and out the other because he doesn't care, and thinks drama and high school "crap" is stupid). Even though he does ignore half of the stuff I say I know he really does care. When I got my hear crushed and broken in half he was right there with hugs, words of comfort, and then the famous phrase, "I'm gonna kill him!" He always knows the ring thing to say and/or do to make me smile again. I definitely know that after a past incident/situation I was in that he will ALWAYS be there for me. While my parents did their best nobody was there for me like my brother was. When all I could do was cry hysterically for an hour he sat there and held me. He brushed my tears away, made me smile, got me food and a soda, and stood by my side through the whole thing. I know that there are friends like that out there, but I don't want one of those friends because I have my brother. Him and I are very similar (even though my mom thinks it is a bad thing) therefore we enjoy the same things, and always have a good time and smile and laugh A LOT! I am so thankful to have him as my brother and other best friend!
My family truly is the most important part of my life, and I am so thankful and blessed to call them my family!!!
Thankfully, though, I am able to look past all the annoyance, anger, and dislike and remember that my family is the absolute most important thing in my life, and the one thing I am MOST thankful for!
My parents have been not only my parents my whole life, but my best friends for the past 6 years. Living in a one bedroom and one bathroom hotel room with them for three months, you learn a lot and grow even closer, especially when they were the only people you had. They have been there for me through everything; the transition of moving and going to 3 schools in one year, my figure skating and all the ups and downs with that, school and the rigorous load I've put on myself every year, boyfriends and the horrible break ups and tears (which is when they take me for ice cream, buy me a stuffed animal, and make me breakfast), and last but certainly not least inappropriate issues and situations I was in. Yes friends are always nice to have in these situations, but my parents are better friends to me than most of my friends. If I did not have them during all of this I definitely would not have known what to do, or have pulled through as strongly as I did. They are my parents and my best friends and I am so thankful to have them. I know I am their baby and the idea of me going to college is hard, but I don't think that will break what we have.
Growing up as a child, and through most of my teenage life my sister was the next closes person to me. While she still is extremely close to me, it has not been the same since she got married and started a family of her own (which was to be expected). I still love her more than anything in the world and could never replace her. However since she lives so far away and has her family to worry about now, and my brother is living at home again, it just made sense that him and I would become so close some people think we are inseparable (which is kind of true). Our brother-sister relationship has grown into such a friendship it is almost scary. We went from always fighting and arguing growing up, to constantly going out to shop or get food, to even working at the ice rink together. He is always there for me to vent to about mom and dad, friends, school, boys, and work (even though it usually goes in one ear and out the other because he doesn't care, and thinks drama and high school "crap" is stupid). Even though he does ignore half of the stuff I say I know he really does care. When I got my hear crushed and broken in half he was right there with hugs, words of comfort, and then the famous phrase, "I'm gonna kill him!" He always knows the ring thing to say and/or do to make me smile again. I definitely know that after a past incident/situation I was in that he will ALWAYS be there for me. While my parents did their best nobody was there for me like my brother was. When all I could do was cry hysterically for an hour he sat there and held me. He brushed my tears away, made me smile, got me food and a soda, and stood by my side through the whole thing. I know that there are friends like that out there, but I don't want one of those friends because I have my brother. Him and I are very similar (even though my mom thinks it is a bad thing) therefore we enjoy the same things, and always have a good time and smile and laugh A LOT! I am so thankful to have him as my brother and other best friend!
My family truly is the most important part of my life, and I am so thankful and blessed to call them my family!!!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Girls, help or destruction?
I always wanted to know who in their right mind would chose/want to go to war. They know from the start that they will be leaving their family and loved ones behind, that they will be putting their own life in danger, and that they might be required to kill someone (whether it be on purpose or due to self defense). This is something that I have always known I would never be able to do. I could never willingly put my life, or the other soldiers' lives that I am with, in danger. That is why I respect soldiers very much and appreciate everything they do.
However I do know that if i were put in the situation as the soldiers in The Things They Carry I would definitely want to have someone back home. I would want that person to be there so I know I wasn't alone. That person would also be used as a reminder as to why I am where I am, and also to have something to look forward to. Knowing that you have someone back home waiting for you, I think, would cause you to be a little more cautious and responsible because you don't want to put yourself in a position where you won't be going home.
A few, if not the majority, of the soldiers had a woman that was in their life or that they talked about, at some point in the story. The only problem with having that woman in your life/on your mind, that a few of these men found out the hard way, is that they can cause more pain and destruction than one would think.
Take, for example, the incident with Kiowa and Jimmy Cross. As soon as Jimmy Cross pulled out the picture of his girlfriend everything went down hill. Now, in this case it could be completely coincidental , but it could also be the side affect (a.k.a. the destruction) of having a girl in your life as a soldier. Tim O'Brien even says, "In the field, though, the causes were immediate. A moment of carelessness a bad judgement or plain stupidity carried consequences that lasted forever" (177). That split second, when the girl was on his mind, was all that it took for something to go wrong. Is having a girl really worth all the destruction it could cause in the end?
However I do know that if i were put in the situation as the soldiers in The Things They Carry I would definitely want to have someone back home. I would want that person to be there so I know I wasn't alone. That person would also be used as a reminder as to why I am where I am, and also to have something to look forward to. Knowing that you have someone back home waiting for you, I think, would cause you to be a little more cautious and responsible because you don't want to put yourself in a position where you won't be going home.
A few, if not the majority, of the soldiers had a woman that was in their life or that they talked about, at some point in the story. The only problem with having that woman in your life/on your mind, that a few of these men found out the hard way, is that they can cause more pain and destruction than one would think.
Take, for example, the incident with Kiowa and Jimmy Cross. As soon as Jimmy Cross pulled out the picture of his girlfriend everything went down hill. Now, in this case it could be completely coincidental , but it could also be the side affect (a.k.a. the destruction) of having a girl in your life as a soldier. Tim O'Brien even says, "In the field, though, the causes were immediate. A moment of carelessness a bad judgement or plain stupidity carried consequences that lasted forever" (177). That split second, when the girl was on his mind, was all that it took for something to go wrong. Is having a girl really worth all the destruction it could cause in the end?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)