History

I learned something interesting about a fragment of my past yesterday. Although it doesn't affect my life as I am living it now, it's interesting to reflect upon numerous memories and realize the deeper meaning behind certain actions, attitudes and events.

Bystanders

As Britney Spears would say, "There's only two types of people in the world, the ones that entertain, and the ones that observe."

I would say that I'm normally categorized as the part of the "ones that entertain", what with being a dancer and all. But obviously, the words "entertainers" and "observers" don't just apply to a show, but to our attitudes towards life. That is, the "active" and the "passive" sects of our society.

Anyway, the op-ed article in the Metro today was:

Pg 16, "Something's wrong here", Marc Lamont Hill

And it reminded me of a poem that used to be on the wall of my 7th grade classroom.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

The article is specifically about the recently gang rape of a 15-year-old girl in California outside of a high school dance. Not only was the act in itself atrocious, but the non-action of passerbys, even ridicule of the girl, is what is truly heinous. At least 10 people walked by and did nothing, nothing to stop them, nothing to call authorities, nothing to save the dignity of a child being taken advantage of.

Professor Hill acknowledges that there are dangers to being one who "speaks out" instead of just one who "stands by". And of course, shows like Law & Order or CSI or any other crime-solving show perpetuates these fears. Oh no, what if I report someone and they come back to get revenge on me later? This is usually for the extremely paranoid of course, and I have to admit, I am one of those paranoid people. But even so, not doing anything in the face of a child being abused raises questions about the dwindling existence of humanity in our society.

And it's not just this particular isolated incident. There was a psychology study done many years ago in the wake World War II about our current society's ability to stand up against abused power. Basically, it looked like our will to challenge authority, even an artificial base-less one, is weak. However, this weakness has slowly morphed into a nonchalant attitude about the safety, well-being of innocent strangers.

We need to stop being people who just stand by. Don't just watch. Act.

A new day

Today was supposed to be a good day. So why am I plagued with past troubles?

Who do you think you are?

I can't stand the people who feel entitled to things they don't deserve, who complain about it, and then when they get it (at the expense of other people's happiness), they don't try at all to make the most of it, or to hold on to it, or to enjoy it at all.

You, you and you, go away and stop making my life more miserable than it needs to be. Get over yourself.

Equality

I've always wondered, is it possible for everyone to be truly equal?

Growing up in this liberal town, we've always been taught to be proud of our differences, and respectful of others'. But if we spend so long observing differences, doesn't that just highlight how we are different from each other? Can different things be equal? Is an apple equal to an orange? Personally, no, I almost always prefer an orange to an apple, even though an orange is more work to eat. And some people will almost always prefer apples to oranges. They're different, and for some people, they are not only not equal, but one is much more superior than the other.

If America is a country about equal opportunity, equal rights and equality in life, how do we reconcile that with the inequality created by our fervent highlighting of each individual's uniqueness?

And what does it mean for everyone to be equal anyway? Clearly equality comes with certain terms and conditions. We all have equal opportunity to pursue individual happiness, but only if it's not at the expense of others. We are all equal in the playing field of life, but some people have earned better tools than others. We are all born equal, and yet there will inevitably be people who work beneath others simply due to which family they come from. Some people have to fight harder than others for the same kind protection by the law, the kind that protects their life and their virtues.

I'm not saying I disagree with everything in the current system, per se. Clearly I would much rather that a serial killer or a sociopath or a sadist not have the same rights as I do, especially on the point about equal opportunity in the pursuit of happiness (period). But I just wonder, are we really all equal? Because it certainly doesn't feel like it...

Hiding

I'm going to slowly retreat back into my shell now.

Choices

Do you ever wonder where your life would be now if you had picked the OTHER option?

Boredom

I'm getting bored with the Metro crossword puzzle. This does not bode well for my attention span at work in the future...

Help!

Freak weather

Snow in mid-October that stuck for more than an hour.

Dear Mr. Former President George W. Bush, do you believe in global warming now?!

Thomas Keown, just shut up.

Pg 13, "Faith Fully Loving Gay", Thomas Keown

Where do I even begin with this guy.

Thomas Keown is a freelance writer who contributes regular Op-Ed articles to the Metro. And they kind of stink. They are inspiring, for sure, but they only ever inspire confusion and disgust in me. It's not even that his opinions are stupid. To be honest, I think both of us have the same general sentiments about living in a city like Boston: being liberal is great, but only when it's done with sense, rationale and a degree of dignity. In fact, my last post about one of your Op-Ed articles was generally positive. But this week, your article is so tastelessly done that even if I agree with what you are trying to say, I can't bring myself to.

Basically, you are trying to say that we should stop hating on the religious people. I completely agree with this. Although I am not religious myself, a number of important people in my life value their faith highly.

You use the example of the Metro article from a few weeks back about a church that caused an uproar due to the sign it posted outside their door calling homosexuality a sin. Specifically, the sign read "Homosexuality, like all sin, is ungodly & unhealthy."

Anyway, back to you, Mr. Keown, and your unwise words.

"Did I miss some announcement that mainstream Christianity had embraced gay sex?"

I mean, maybe it's because I live in Cambridge, but I feel like the majority of Christians I know have accepted homosexuality as a part of society. Sure, they might not be staunch advocates or supporters, but not every single Christian, or religious person actually, that I know is dead set against the existence of homosexuality.

"The effect of this story is to further reinforce in the mind of the Metro reader the modern falsehood that ordinary people of faith are backwards, homophobic bigots."

Normally I would agree with you, but let's examine the evidence a little closer, shall we?

"The sign could just as easily have said 'Sex before marriage is a sin,' 'Not being charitable is a sin' or 'Being quick to anger is a sin.' None of that means that sane Christians are hateful or intolerant of the promiscuous, the miserly or the short-tempered."

Oh yes, this is completely true, except for one minor detail. This particular church seems to have a track record. In 2005, the same sign of the same church read: "Hurricane Katrina: Natural Disaster or God's Judgement?" If I'm not mistaken, this is a direct jab at an entire city, actually, and if some people have interpreted it correctly, it's directly aimed at the promiscuous and sinful tendencies of the New Orleans culture. In some ways it's better, because this church isn't specifically insulting homosexuals, but a whole variety of people!

"The church might speak against an act, but will love the actor dearly."

Um, what? How is lobbying against gay marriage "lov(ing) the actor dearly"? Well then, this totally scraps my theory about the church equally insulting all types of people, because I'm pretty sure they're not lobbying against government funding for rebuilding New Orleans.

That article from a few weeks ago was not saying anything about all Christians being ignorant bigots. It was simply reporting news. Boston happens to be a relatively boring city, but in case you haven't noticed, the rest of the Metro has been pretty bland recently too. So stop over-analyzing simple situations and making a big deal out of nothing. You're doing the exact same thing you are criticizing: being overly sensitive.

Kthxbai,

WhyWhy

Warmth.

It's cold at home.

Horoscopes

Not that I ever ever EVER believe them... but I rather like the one for me in the Metro today.

"Select fun-loving companions; they'll make your day a happy one."

And between this crappy weather, going through dance withdrawal and insomnia, my day could definitely use a pick-me-up.

UGH

I hate you Peter Pan.

Jitters

Every single time I think about it I start shivering uncontrollably and it won't get better until I just physically shake it off.

Sigh.

I can only hope for the best. Jia you!

In the near future...

Next week, I will be able to:

1. Do the Metro Sudoku again without messing up a bajillion times. When I am sleep-deprived, the puzzle is THAT much harder.

2. Stay awake during work. Sigh.

3. Get more than 4 hours of sleep per night.

4. Be less sweaty on average.

5. Relax at home for more than an hour in the evenings.

6. Not have to launder clothes every other day.

7. Not take naps in rando people's rooms (although to be fair, TT is not rando <3)

8. Act more like an adult.

9. Read the newspaper without getting a headache.

10. Not get headaches. Period.

But despite all that, I'm really going to miss it... :(

Growing up is hard, but everyone's gotta do it, right? I will grow up, but I will also make sure to keep doing things I am passionate about. After all, what is life without a passion outside of your career and family, right?

Nerves

I gots them.

So nervous...

GAH

I am falling behind on my daily postings. Whoops.

:: shakes fist ::

A Random Revelation

One of the best way to grow and heal is to turn something that has bad personal associations into a new positive memory. And it's even better when it happens effortlessly or unconsciously, and you don't realize it until later.

I love...

...that my computer can still connect to the campus internet. It means I haven't been completely cut off from my second home. Small victory!

Exception!

Even though Professor Hill contribute to today's Metro today (I think they rotate and he is always on Thursdays), I was not particularly intrigued by his column. His writing was great, as usual. Just not as provocative.

And so, I started looking at pictures of delicious food on the internet. Why do I do this to myself? And always when I'm hungry too! It's a bad habit and I really need to stop.

But in my perusing, I came across this (probably old news to most of you by now):

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KgIqQvYUs3I/SoQr_00ogEI/AAAAAAAARks/1TQVjV2jff4/s400/body_sushi.jpg

What the heck?? That's ridiculous!!!!

How do they expect people to get full off of just that much?! I could eat all of the sushi in that picture and then some.

~ WhyWhy