Friday, January 1, 2010

Knowledge

Knowledge is power. Then why do people choose to be so ignorant?
There was a time television when people would sit in there in their parlors playing music, singing, dancing, and reading books. Books used to be a popular thing. That was the whole reason why they created libraries and book stores. While there are still huge book stores such as Borders and Barnes & Noble, not as many younger people go to them anymore. I know that there are plenty of amazing movies out there and there is just "that one show I have to watch" but you should try turning them off for a while. There are millions of amazing books out there.
Reading frees your mind and your creativity. When you watch a movie or a television show you have the images already created for you, but when you read you can see the character the author has painted with your own imagination. You can learn something from every book or at least discover something about yourself. Even if you're reading just for fun. Reading books does so much for you. It expands your mind and your imagination, you learn new things, you learn new and expand your vocabulary. Plus, take this into consideration, all jobs require some reading and writing skills; even if you're working at a place where you say, "would you like fries with that?".
You can find out so many things just through reading and there are so many different genres. If people say they do not like to read then they have not spent time looking for books. And if you do like to read I applaud you and encourage you to expand your horizon and try to read other types of books as well.
"I gots me an edjumecation" doesn't cut it.
Read, Write, LEARN something people!

Goals

To live life to the fullest is a goal that most don't achieve. People will struggle and work for it at the beginning but as more roadblocks occur they eventually let their dreams dwindle down to nothing. Sadly, I have let this happen to me as well and upon recognizing this it also dawned on me that some people are so determined to reach their dreams that they will throw others under the bus. Both scenarios disturb me to the point that I have stayed up late at night to think about just to end in total exhaustion. We all throw people under the bus at some time in our lives and if we haven't yet we will. This is merely an observation on human reaction and behavior that I have witnessed and experienced time and time again. We should all have dreams, by this I mean a goal that one could achieve with the proper devotion, but we should keep in mind the chances and actuality of those dreams happening. We need to consider others along our journey and be mindful of not hurting them.
When actors or actresses that we admire get up to the podium to give their speeches it irritates me to no end if the words, "and I would also like to think all the little people that helped me along the way." When they say that I feel that they deserve a nice, hard kick in the pants. If you feel that the people that helped you, even if it was just a boost, are little then I would like to tell you to look in the mirror, because by labeling others as small or little, you in turn become the smallest person of all. People think that to have an extraordinary dream they have to want to become rich or famous. But please listen, this is just not so. Any dream can be extraordinary as long as you want it. To become a nurse, a teacher, an anthropologist, a police officer, or a stay at home parent, is a dream worth achieving. There are no ridiculous dreams if you dream long enough and work hard enough to achieve it. People may tear you down along the way, but in no way do you stop. No! You get right back up, shake it off, and continue to fight and strive all the harder, making you not only happier for proving them wrong but also stronger in the sense that you had a million and more opportunities to stop, you could have taken advantage of people cruelly, you could have listened and stopped, but you didn't. You strive for a goal and did it honestly and with good sportsmanship. Those people are the ones that hardly ever get recognition. So the next time you see someone in a position where they are happy and have worked hard for it and were honest, congratulate them. Thank them for their hard work and dedication and give them the recognition they deserve.
I challenge anyone who reads this article to do an assignment that I was required to do in my writing class. Take out a piece of paper and a pen and write. Write down any goals that you have or have had and check them off once they are completed. Write down every single goal that has ever popped into your head no matter how childish or unrealistic it may be. Put the list somewhere where you will be able to see and take a look everyday. Work towards reaching all of your goals. Some will take more time than others and some can be completed within two minutes. Either way, try your hardest to check off all of the items on your list. If it has the same effect on you as it did me, you will be able to open your eyes and appreciate life and will work harder for everything.
To live life to its fullest is something most people do not achieve but those that do have stories to tell that deserve attention, they deserve admiration, they deserve respect.

Sanity

I have a very interesting view on what we consider to be sanity. The word Sanity means to be sound in the mind, sound in judgement, being sane. In this sense I feel that very very few have any sanity.

Now in the sense of people in insane asylums I have very interesting opinions. Most of these people are insane just in the fact that they are not in the soundness of mind. This however does not make them bad people. On the contrary most are the kind, loving, most caring people you could ever meet. This does not mean all are like this sadly. No, there are some that are very mean and would try to hurt you that are said to be in sound mind making it show that they are more insane. Now you should exercise caution when around them with what you say because they can be more sensitive than most but you should not be afraid of them.
It is sad when people with mental disorders murder or do something else irrational because it paints a bad view on the rest of those people. Those people are not freaks though and people have no right to call them as such. They are people like you and me that just happen to have a chemical imbalance of some sort in their brains. Can they be dangerous? Everyone at any moment can snap and become dangerous. But, I in my personal experience, have found people with mental issues to be more loving then the average person. They know what it is like to be misunderstood and to be judged. To be questioned and secluded from some activities, jobs, or insurances just because of their "disability" because they are more likely to cause more damage.
I know one woman who has chronic depression and schizophrenia. She has been like a second mother to me. She welcomes you with open arms and is so understanding. The first time I ever met her she ran to the door and brought me into a tight hug. She automatically welcomed me into home as family. She struggles to lead a normal life but does an amazing job at working at the hospital and raising a family. Though I do not see her anymore I hope to see her again someday in the near future because she is the greatest woman. She would give you a place to stay or food to eat if you just but ask. She is not insane in any form. She is a great woman and is a second mother whom I love very much.
Just like most people you can not tell by looking at them that they have a mental disorder so why would you judge them before you even get to know them. People are far to ignorant to these people that are my friends and family. People should learn not to judge others and might want to look at all of their faults before letting even one word come out of their mouths about others. Love, understand, and be more caring. We are all equal.

Soldiers

Land of the free and home of the brave. People use to be proud to be Americans. Now we have become cowardice, selfish, lazy, mindless, little pansies. People who say that they hate America are no patriots to our country and if you hate it so much then you can leave! People say that this country is evil and power hungry. This is NOT true, it is not the country itself as the land but the people that we ourselves elected to be in charge of this country that are evil and power hungry. People say that the war needs to stop and that the bloodthirsty soldiers should be stopped. Well I have news for you people that think this way. You decided to vote for precious Obama. I respect him as the president but I do not agree with him in any way. He said he would pull our soldiers out yet he is sending out more soldiers.
Soldiers do what they do to protect this once great country. From the Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, the Gulf War, people have joined to fight to protect their homes, their families, their sense of doing what they can to preserve this country for the better. Every time they go out to the field to fight they put their own life at danger just so that we can have our freedom. They give us our lives, the chance just to sit on our couches and use our computers, our televisions, our cell phones, our I-pods or MP3s. These soldiers leave everything to go and fight against an enemy threatening to take away what we have created and what we have become.
The soldiers on the other side, in this case the terrorists are also doing their job. I do not feel that the taking of any life should be condoned. We are not God so how do we even pretend to think we have the right to decide who lives and dies. Some of the soldiers are not terrorists, and like our soldiers are just doing their job. Some have families that they are trying to protect; parents, sibling, spouses, children, their own faith and lives.
They do their job to protect their country and we are lucky to have so many that still have the belief that America is beautiful and is the place of life and opportunity. I challange you to get up the next time you see one of the people in any of the services and shake their hand. Thank them and tell them that you appreciate their sacrifice and their dedication. The ones you meet have been fortunate enough to live where as some of their friends, family, loved ones have not made it back and never will. Think about what you would see through their eyes and you will see.
Thank you to all the armed forces who made it possible for us to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. God Bless America and its soldiers.