Most of us have been there at one point; the ones who haven't will get theirs, eventually. IT IS INESCAPABLE....
There you are, innocently sitting there, eating your Cheerios or some other tasty snack, when it hits you. That flash of lightning that zips through your brain, jump starts your heart to the point of acrobatics, and sends the corners of your mouth into that half-circle of upward idiocy because that stupid grin won't stop spreading.
An image of the love of your life burns itself into your brain like a cheap plasma TV screen. Yup--it's love, and its got you in its grips.
Muu ahhhhhahhhh.
If none of this sounds familiar to you--don't worry--you simply have no soul. ;) Just kidding--like I said, you'll get yours and it'll be just as described with different metaphors.
Not ever being privvy to this feeling does not preclude you from this blog question, though; no doubt, you've seen what looks like and that's as much as you need for this assignment.
First, define love. Nbd. Thousands upon thousands of poets, essayists, philosophers and the like have all tried to come up with a working definition--whose to say their version is better than yours? Do your best.
Have you ever been in love, or known someone who has?
Did their behavior change? Did yours?
Why do you think we are attracted to those we are?
What do you look for in potential relationships?
What is your idea of a "perfect" relationship?
Who taught you about love?
What is your earliest memory of "seeing" love?
Does that memory affect how you view the idea of love?
And, finally, what will you teach your future sons and daughters about the idea of love and relationships? Think about this one, and imagine what you wish you knew...
Monday, September 30, 2019
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
The Value in our Valuables
Every once in a while,a situation presents itself to you, and in so doing, however unwittingly, that situation tests your resolve, challenges your moral fiber and forces you to examine (or re-examine) your values. These are the "pivotal moments" in our lives when our choices begin to define who we are.
When things like these happen, one of two things may be the result:
you will try to ignore the situation until it absolutely HAS to command your attention,
or
you will rush to a decision so that you don't have to think about it for too long.
I have a theory about why these two possible reactions are so prevalent. And here it is:
There are simply not enough moments in a teenager's day to give the appropriate attention to the notion (idea) of what he or she values.
Not to mention the word itself, values, is such an abstract term that who really has to time to ponder its meaning AND the implications AND live the life of a carefree kid? Nobody.
So, as a result of my theory, this blog question was born. Because sometimes we actually have to MAKE the time to do stuff like this, not because of a grade (although certainly that too), but because these are golden opportunities to ask ourselves who we really are.
I would like you to really let the questions I am presenting here have some time to marinate so that you can reach a deeper level of understanding.
What DO you value?
Please don't say things such as "friends, family, or iPhone 12thousand in pink peppermint sage."
Those things are just that--things (yes, even the people).
While they have surface value, they are not what I am talking about. Why? Because, in order to get to the deeper understanding of yourself and your actual values, you have to ask yourself WHY you consider those things valuable.
We already know the selfish answer to what makes the people in our lives valuable--we need them. That's why I don't want you to list people.
Because, now, you have to ask yourself a two-part, very fundamental question:
1)What makes you so mad you could scream? What fills you with unabashed joy?
and
2)Why do you have those reactions to what you listed?
The sum total of those answers is the amorphous notion of your values.
These are hard questions, and like all hard questions, the answers may take a while to come and you may have to write it as you're thinking about it. Please do so, because I would be willing to bet that all of us could benefit from your thought process as well as your answers.
Buena Suerte.
When things like these happen, one of two things may be the result:
you will try to ignore the situation until it absolutely HAS to command your attention,
or
you will rush to a decision so that you don't have to think about it for too long.
I have a theory about why these two possible reactions are so prevalent. And here it is:
There are simply not enough moments in a teenager's day to give the appropriate attention to the notion (idea) of what he or she values.
Not to mention the word itself, values, is such an abstract term that who really has to time to ponder its meaning AND the implications AND live the life of a carefree kid? Nobody.
So, as a result of my theory, this blog question was born. Because sometimes we actually have to MAKE the time to do stuff like this, not because of a grade (although certainly that too), but because these are golden opportunities to ask ourselves who we really are.
I would like you to really let the questions I am presenting here have some time to marinate so that you can reach a deeper level of understanding.
What DO you value?
Please don't say things such as "friends, family, or iPhone 12thousand in pink peppermint sage."
Those things are just that--things (yes, even the people).
While they have surface value, they are not what I am talking about. Why? Because, in order to get to the deeper understanding of yourself and your actual values, you have to ask yourself WHY you consider those things valuable.
We already know the selfish answer to what makes the people in our lives valuable--we need them. That's why I don't want you to list people.
Because, now, you have to ask yourself a two-part, very fundamental question:
1)What makes you so mad you could scream? What fills you with unabashed joy?
and
2)Why do you have those reactions to what you listed?
The sum total of those answers is the amorphous notion of your values.
These are hard questions, and like all hard questions, the answers may take a while to come and you may have to write it as you're thinking about it. Please do so, because I would be willing to bet that all of us could benefit from your thought process as well as your answers.
Buena Suerte.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Welcome to 304
You've heard it all before--junior year--the mother of all high school expectations. The make-you-or break-you-year. The year ALL COLLEGES watch...you've heard it all and so have I.
I am here to tell you--most of that is true. Junior year IS important, and it tends to be very high stakes. That much I know for sure.
But, that doesn't mean that there is not fun and laughter along the way, and it doesn't mean that you go through the remaining 179 days with anxiety and trepidation. All it means is that a careful navigation through some of the minefields that this year can present will be helpful to you, but I am here to guide you in that process so just know that you are not alone.
This space is used for reflection and honest contemplation, each week, about a particular topic or subject. These topics and subjects have almost nothing to do with Lang, although they are a graded component of the class. The point is, you won't be answering questions about what you read in Chapter 3, page 5 because that stuff hardly ever matters to you, which means it matters even less to me.
Instead, each week, you will be presented with a question, about you--your thoughts, ideas, dreams, fears and philosophies. You will have between 3-5 days to post your answer to this question, and each week/month you will see a reflection of that response in the grade book. It is an easy way to maintain a strong average--conversely, it can also force that average to take a nosedive if you forget to do it. So, don't forget!
And so, we begin.
As I mentioned before, junior year has a bit of a reputation.
At this point, that is, day 3 or 5 (whatever day you sign in), what are you feelings about that idea?
What are your expectations about this class, me, and yourself for this year?
What are you afraid of? What are you excited about?
Has high school, thus far, be what you imagined it would be when you were in middle school?
If you could go back and redo any year of your schooling--would you? What year would you redo? Why?
A lot to think about for your first post, I know. Trust yourself and let your thoughts guide your words.
I am here to tell you--most of that is true. Junior year IS important, and it tends to be very high stakes. That much I know for sure.
But, that doesn't mean that there is not fun and laughter along the way, and it doesn't mean that you go through the remaining 179 days with anxiety and trepidation. All it means is that a careful navigation through some of the minefields that this year can present will be helpful to you, but I am here to guide you in that process so just know that you are not alone.
This space is used for reflection and honest contemplation, each week, about a particular topic or subject. These topics and subjects have almost nothing to do with Lang, although they are a graded component of the class. The point is, you won't be answering questions about what you read in Chapter 3, page 5 because that stuff hardly ever matters to you, which means it matters even less to me.
Instead, each week, you will be presented with a question, about you--your thoughts, ideas, dreams, fears and philosophies. You will have between 3-5 days to post your answer to this question, and each week/month you will see a reflection of that response in the grade book. It is an easy way to maintain a strong average--conversely, it can also force that average to take a nosedive if you forget to do it. So, don't forget!
And so, we begin.
As I mentioned before, junior year has a bit of a reputation.
At this point, that is, day 3 or 5 (whatever day you sign in), what are you feelings about that idea?
What are your expectations about this class, me, and yourself for this year?
What are you afraid of? What are you excited about?
Has high school, thus far, be what you imagined it would be when you were in middle school?
If you could go back and redo any year of your schooling--would you? What year would you redo? Why?
A lot to think about for your first post, I know. Trust yourself and let your thoughts guide your words.
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