I think a lot of people around me are crazy. At school, at home, at work. The people around me are straight up insane sometimes. But that’s probably because I’m crazy too, and I chose to surround myself with similar people. Probably, right?
It’s nice to be crazy in a group of likewise cuckoo people. It feels freeing, right? It makes you feel like a kid, like a goof, happy, excited, all those bright emotions. But it sucks to be surrounded by insane people when you’re being right minded.
For instance, my old manager at work was crazy. She had this very plastic smile (very similar to the Big Nurse actually…) and was super passive aggressive and I think she was probably a robot. Heartless, soulless, the whole thing. Think I’m being mean? Oh, I wish you could meet her. You’d see.
Like this one time, an employee who had been working there for three years quit and sent her this hilariously mean and true text message about how terrible she was and unprofessional and oozed fake-ness and was the least genuine person he had ever met. And she comes in for her shift half an hour after he sent it with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. It looked painful, I’m not kidding. And she squeezed out a very high pitched “HeeeeelloooooOOO” at me and my coworker. Wondering if we knew what had happened, trying to evaluate the situation and see if she could keep herself from being screwed over. Eh. It still gives me the shivers.
When the people around you are like that crazy manager or Nurse Ratched or any wrong type of insane authority like that, it’s the worst. It’s enough to drive YOU crazy. But when you’re surrounded by people at the same level of fun crazy as you (like all the patients on the ward), oh well, it’s just the bees knees.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Together
I like to be on my own every now and again. I like to have lazy mornings in the house to myself where I drink coffee and watch really bad TV, some shows I’m so ashamed of I won’t even mention them here. And I like to enjoy a train ride by myself. You get the idea. However, most of the time, I love to be with people.
I just really like being with my family and friends and their families. It’s one of the best feelings.
Like whenever I go to my best friend’s house. She has a really close family who loves to eat (they’re Italian sorta, it’s a long story, not important). My favorite memories are of us around the table, cracking jokes at each other and doing all those things that families do. You know, they’re one of those families that yell a lot and sometimes say things that they regret, but overwhelmingly just love each other. It’s a great feeling to be with them.
And there’s my family, of course. We’re kind of similar to my best friend’s, actually. We can get into fights and really dislike each other at times. But most of the time, especially since we’ve all gotten older and are less teenage angsty, we have a lot of fun together. Not doing anything special (outings together actually seem to cause more spats…), but just sitting and talking, watchin’ a movie, just being with each other.
So yeah, “together” or togetherness is a great feeling. Sometimes it’s nice to get time by yourself, but I prefer to be around the people I love. Any day of the week.
I just really like being with my family and friends and their families. It’s one of the best feelings.
Like whenever I go to my best friend’s house. She has a really close family who loves to eat (they’re Italian sorta, it’s a long story, not important). My favorite memories are of us around the table, cracking jokes at each other and doing all those things that families do. You know, they’re one of those families that yell a lot and sometimes say things that they regret, but overwhelmingly just love each other. It’s a great feeling to be with them.
And there’s my family, of course. We’re kind of similar to my best friend’s, actually. We can get into fights and really dislike each other at times. But most of the time, especially since we’ve all gotten older and are less teenage angsty, we have a lot of fun together. Not doing anything special (outings together actually seem to cause more spats…), but just sitting and talking, watchin’ a movie, just being with each other.
So yeah, “together” or togetherness is a great feeling. Sometimes it’s nice to get time by yourself, but I prefer to be around the people I love. Any day of the week.
Alone
I’m not really a religious person. I was raised Lutheran but, against my parents best efforts, I have fallen away from the church. I’m not saying I don’t believe in God necessarily. I believe there is some greater force. I just don’t believe in church. I think it’s a good place if you want a community, but it is not a factor of your life that saves you. It does not decide your fate.
I’ve thought about this a lot after the recent death of my Aunt.
She was a devout Catholic in every way. She went to church every week. I’m not kidding. Even when she and her sister would come up from Texas to visit us, they would find the nearest Catholic church and go to mass by themselves. About two years ago she found out she had cancer. She had lived a full life and spent a lot of time doing the things she loved, but she was scared of death and kept praying. About a month ago, she passed away while my parents were on a flight out to see her.
She never really drank in her life. She never took drugs, never sinned if she could help it. Not that these actions constitute a full, satisfying life. I just mean to show that she lived the life of a devout Catholic. But in the end, she died before she was ready.
I don’t think this means that God doesn’t exist. Or that he wasn’t there for her. I believe she was happy most of the time. But I can’t help but wonder if she felt alone in the end. I wonder if she looked around her and up at her God and thought about all the effort she put into being a good Catholic her entire life, and thought she was being left alone. I don’t know.
I like to end blogs on a high note, but sometimes you can’t.
I’ve thought about this a lot after the recent death of my Aunt.
She was a devout Catholic in every way. She went to church every week. I’m not kidding. Even when she and her sister would come up from Texas to visit us, they would find the nearest Catholic church and go to mass by themselves. About two years ago she found out she had cancer. She had lived a full life and spent a lot of time doing the things she loved, but she was scared of death and kept praying. About a month ago, she passed away while my parents were on a flight out to see her.
She never really drank in her life. She never took drugs, never sinned if she could help it. Not that these actions constitute a full, satisfying life. I just mean to show that she lived the life of a devout Catholic. But in the end, she died before she was ready.
I don’t think this means that God doesn’t exist. Or that he wasn’t there for her. I believe she was happy most of the time. But I can’t help but wonder if she felt alone in the end. I wonder if she looked around her and up at her God and thought about all the effort she put into being a good Catholic her entire life, and thought she was being left alone. I don’t know.
I like to end blogs on a high note, but sometimes you can’t.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Love This Earth
There are so many things that we as young folks, as people of Chicago, as people of the world, can do to help save the earth.
For starters, we can adjust the way we transport ourselves. I know it’s super nice to just drive somewhere, instead of hassling with sometimes unreliable CTA and always unreliable Chicago weather. But really, in a place like Chicago, where there is a train or bus to everywhere, it should be a crime to drive a car instead of taking the CTA. This change not only helps the environment (less fuel, yada yada, you know the deal), but it has sooo many personally advantages. For instance, public transportation is cheap compared to gas prices. And no more worrying about where to park! And there’s always good people watching on public transportation, let’s not forget that.
Or we could just start biking and walking more. That would be even better.
Another thing that I’ve heard can really help the environment by drastically reducing carbon emissions is becoming a vegetarian. A few years ago, my sister became a vegetarian for this very reason. I told her I didn’t think I could ever give up meat, so she broke it down for me. Really, the vast majority of emissions come from the transportation of meat, especially red meat. So, she said, if you even cut back on eating red meat, you’ll take a pretty big bite out of emissions. Rad.
And of course there are more things! Don’t buy bottled water! Recycle! Turn off lights after you leave a room! Come on! Show the love!
For starters, we can adjust the way we transport ourselves. I know it’s super nice to just drive somewhere, instead of hassling with sometimes unreliable CTA and always unreliable Chicago weather. But really, in a place like Chicago, where there is a train or bus to everywhere, it should be a crime to drive a car instead of taking the CTA. This change not only helps the environment (less fuel, yada yada, you know the deal), but it has sooo many personally advantages. For instance, public transportation is cheap compared to gas prices. And no more worrying about where to park! And there’s always good people watching on public transportation, let’s not forget that.
Or we could just start biking and walking more. That would be even better.
Another thing that I’ve heard can really help the environment by drastically reducing carbon emissions is becoming a vegetarian. A few years ago, my sister became a vegetarian for this very reason. I told her I didn’t think I could ever give up meat, so she broke it down for me. Really, the vast majority of emissions come from the transportation of meat, especially red meat. So, she said, if you even cut back on eating red meat, you’ll take a pretty big bite out of emissions. Rad.
And of course there are more things! Don’t buy bottled water! Recycle! Turn off lights after you leave a room! Come on! Show the love!
Friday, May 20, 2011
INVISIBLE
I really liked Invisible Man.
It was unlike any other book I’ve read in school, especially one focusing on racism. The approach that Ralph Ellison uses to expose America’s race issues was unique and will stick with me. His use of imagery and creative storytelling truly makes Invisible Man special.
The part about the paint factory, for instance. That was a really creative and complex way to look at racial tensions. It was intense, I’m not going to lie. Ellison sure does like to create crazy characters (check that alliteration, look at my education at work), like the main characters supervisor at the factory. He was angry and scary and crazy, buuuut he helped Ellison get across his point.
Ellison was a smart dude. He was extremely innovative and I think this book should be more popular than it is.
My only complaint about this book is that we didn’t get enough time to work with it. Invisible Man was a very thick book, literally and with its vast and complex messages, and we hardly had two weeks to work with it. I feel like there’s a lot more we could’ve gotten from it if we had a chance to discuss it as a class, especially because its one of your favorites, so I’m sure you have a lot to say about it. Oh well. I guess we can come back to it if we have time.
It was unlike any other book I’ve read in school, especially one focusing on racism. The approach that Ralph Ellison uses to expose America’s race issues was unique and will stick with me. His use of imagery and creative storytelling truly makes Invisible Man special.
The part about the paint factory, for instance. That was a really creative and complex way to look at racial tensions. It was intense, I’m not going to lie. Ellison sure does like to create crazy characters (check that alliteration, look at my education at work), like the main characters supervisor at the factory. He was angry and scary and crazy, buuuut he helped Ellison get across his point.
Ellison was a smart dude. He was extremely innovative and I think this book should be more popular than it is.
My only complaint about this book is that we didn’t get enough time to work with it. Invisible Man was a very thick book, literally and with its vast and complex messages, and we hardly had two weeks to work with it. I feel like there’s a lot more we could’ve gotten from it if we had a chance to discuss it as a class, especially because its one of your favorites, so I’m sure you have a lot to say about it. Oh well. I guess we can come back to it if we have time.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Book = Cool = Book in t9
I like books. Lots of books. It’s hard to choose just one to suggest.
I really like Kevin Coval’s slingshots (a hip-hop poetica). It’s a compilation of Coval’s slam poetry pieces. His work varies in subject matter. A lot of it focuses on his childhood and the reflections he has on past experiences. Other poems focus on his urban life, from his street corner stores to women he’s met in the city, and even ones about Chicago herself. Coval has a really interesting style of writing that keeps the reader captivated. He also lays out his poems into a very unique format on the page. You can tell a lot of time went into what words were important to emphasize and how a line’s meaning can change just by how it’s manipulated when printed. But hands down, the best thing about this book is the content and writing itself. Coval touches upon a lot of important, universal ideas in an unusual way, feeding the reader line after line of vital mental sustenance. If you haven’t already read this book, especially living in Chicago, do. It’s grand.
Another book that just sticks out in my mind is Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. I haven’t read this book in almost 4 years. My best friend gave it to me in 8th grade because she loved it. Don’t misunderstand me, though, it definitely isn’t an 8th grade reading level book. Although the language is easy to follow, Illusions struggles with the ideas of life, death, and reality. I think it’s one of those books that you can get more out of every time you read it. I bet I would think a lot more complexly into it if I were to read it now (which I probably should). And again, if it still stands out in my mind from so many years ago, there must be something to it.
I really like Kevin Coval’s slingshots (a hip-hop poetica). It’s a compilation of Coval’s slam poetry pieces. His work varies in subject matter. A lot of it focuses on his childhood and the reflections he has on past experiences. Other poems focus on his urban life, from his street corner stores to women he’s met in the city, and even ones about Chicago herself. Coval has a really interesting style of writing that keeps the reader captivated. He also lays out his poems into a very unique format on the page. You can tell a lot of time went into what words were important to emphasize and how a line’s meaning can change just by how it’s manipulated when printed. But hands down, the best thing about this book is the content and writing itself. Coval touches upon a lot of important, universal ideas in an unusual way, feeding the reader line after line of vital mental sustenance. If you haven’t already read this book, especially living in Chicago, do. It’s grand.
Another book that just sticks out in my mind is Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. I haven’t read this book in almost 4 years. My best friend gave it to me in 8th grade because she loved it. Don’t misunderstand me, though, it definitely isn’t an 8th grade reading level book. Although the language is easy to follow, Illusions struggles with the ideas of life, death, and reality. I think it’s one of those books that you can get more out of every time you read it. I bet I would think a lot more complexly into it if I were to read it now (which I probably should). And again, if it still stands out in my mind from so many years ago, there must be something to it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Quality Stuff Right Here
You know what's a quality movie that I had forgotten about until a few weeks ago? The Land Before Time.
I grew up on this movie, and its numerous sequels (although sadly, I can not say that I've seen all thirteen of them). It was good to me in my youth and like most children's movies, is still entertaining now.
The Land Before Time is such a great movie because it appeals to so many audience groups. There are, of course, the children. This movie is educational, giving a bit of information about dinosaurs. It also contains many important themes, like loyalty, respect, and determination. But perhaps most importantly, The Land Before Time features almost exclusively young characters. I don't remember exactly, but I imagine it was nice as a child to see such strong, hilarious, lovable, little kids in a movie, even if they were animated dinosaurs.
There are also strong racial and social themes present in The Land Before Time. My siblings and I were shocked when we realized this, since none of us remembered that aspect of it from our childhood. But the writers made their message pretty clear. Once Littlefoot (the main dinosaur, a "long neck") asked his mother why he couldn't play with another little dinosaur (Cera, a "three-horn"), and she openly replied "we all stick to our own kinds...because we're different. It's always been that way". I almost started laughing at how blatant this message was, but I suppose it's an important one to get out, especially to little kids.
So parents love it, kids love it, and on a slightly more comical note, stoners love it. Seriously. My brother told me he read this long forum online about the drug innuendos in the movie. My siblings and I watched it with that in mind, and I'm not going to lie, a lot of what he was pointing out made sense. But in my opinion, that doesn't at all take away from the movie, just adds another level of complexity to it.
The Land Before Time. Quality. If you haven't seen it, no matter who you are, do.
I grew up on this movie, and its numerous sequels (although sadly, I can not say that I've seen all thirteen of them). It was good to me in my youth and like most children's movies, is still entertaining now.
The Land Before Time is such a great movie because it appeals to so many audience groups. There are, of course, the children. This movie is educational, giving a bit of information about dinosaurs. It also contains many important themes, like loyalty, respect, and determination. But perhaps most importantly, The Land Before Time features almost exclusively young characters. I don't remember exactly, but I imagine it was nice as a child to see such strong, hilarious, lovable, little kids in a movie, even if they were animated dinosaurs.
There are also strong racial and social themes present in The Land Before Time. My siblings and I were shocked when we realized this, since none of us remembered that aspect of it from our childhood. But the writers made their message pretty clear. Once Littlefoot (the main dinosaur, a "long neck") asked his mother why he couldn't play with another little dinosaur (Cera, a "three-horn"), and she openly replied "we all stick to our own kinds...because we're different. It's always been that way". I almost started laughing at how blatant this message was, but I suppose it's an important one to get out, especially to little kids.
So parents love it, kids love it, and on a slightly more comical note, stoners love it. Seriously. My brother told me he read this long forum online about the drug innuendos in the movie. My siblings and I watched it with that in mind, and I'm not going to lie, a lot of what he was pointing out made sense. But in my opinion, that doesn't at all take away from the movie, just adds another level of complexity to it.
The Land Before Time. Quality. If you haven't seen it, no matter who you are, do.
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