Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Aware, etc.

I am aware of the fact that I severely fell behind in posting my written assignments
here. Now that the moments have passed, I am less inclined to post them.

However, I would like to read them someday in order to compile a collection of deep
and profound thoughts that are currently scattered about my papers.



I do, however, recall a few general themes that have arisen in my papers again and
again throughout the semester. I believe I mentioned this in my previous post...

The American Medical System
This topic presented itself frequently in regards to The Sociology of Birth and Death.
I'm not sure what to say on the whole, but these discussion ultimately led to...

Denial
I've been talking about denial EVERYWHERE. Everywhere being both The Sociology of
Birth and Death and The Psychology of Personality. Medical system? Denial. Grief?
Denial. Defense mechanisms? Denial. Catharsis? Non-denial. Denial, denial, denial.
In general, I deeply dislike denial, which is something I've said here before. I do
not believe that denial is healthy in any way, ever. Denial does not resolve the
issue. Denial does not help. Perhaps this is why I have never experienced denial
during my personal stages of grief? Hm.

Reflection
How can I not write about this? Hello, core value!

Public Education
I never realized how deeply interested I am in the public education system. For
Introduction to Social Welfare, we had three assignments that consisted of finding
a recent media article, reading it, and writing a reaction about how it relates to
social welfare. Every article I chose somehow related to public education. NCLB?
Public education. New Pennsylvania budget? Public Education. Teacher repercussions
of school standards? Public education. Absence and truancy laws? Public education.
Even our Think Tank assignment, well my first and incorrect version, was about
community colleges. Public education. At first, this seemed ironic, considering the
fact that I'd been homeschooled my whole life. But, in reality, it makes more-than-
perfect sense. I want to be a youth counselor. I want to work with middle-high school
children. I was homeschooled my whole life. How does this make sense? My unique
education experience gives me a unique education perspective. I previously wrote
about my most ideal job description.

Liberal Arts Education
Unfortunately, this discussion is surrounded by negative energy. I previously wrote
about my most ideal educational environment - Utopia School. I will not restate here.





Another topic that has been on my mind a lot to day is negativity. Well, it's been
on my mind a lot all semester, but today it became even more solidified.

I realized there is a difference between the type of negative energy that has been
bothering me and the type of negative energy that has been bothering those around me.

Those around me are largely bothered by their own negativity, to some degree. In
some way. This may get complicated. Those around me complain about annoying people,
annoying school requirements, annoying food, annoying people, annoying etc, etc.
Those around me are surrounding themselves with negative energy by focusing on things
that are annoying. These things are also largely inconsequential and unimportant.

I am bothered by THIS negativity. I am bothered by the complainers. I am bothered
by the negative energy they focus on, internalize, and carry with them.

(Hm. Complaining creates burdens!)

Furthermore, this negative energy that is focused on, internalized, and carried by
the negative complainers is deeply hurtful for me because they complain about things
that are either inconsequential and insignificant OR important to me.

The superficiality of their complaints and the severity of their negative energy
injures my soul.

"Don't let it injure you, then."

Okay, maybe... but their negative energy is SO powerful. Their negative energy
intoxicates my beautiful environment, making it something that is ugly and hated.

Their negative energy intoxicates my beautiful environment,
making it something that is ugly and hated.


I chose this environment; they clearly did not. I love this environment because I
chose it because I saw the beauty of it; they hate this environment because they
did not choose it because they did not bother with looking for and choosing beauty.

(Caveat: "beauty" here does not refer to superficial, outward appearances)

When they insult this environment, it hurts my soul because I feel as if they are
insulting me. I know I take things extremely seriously, but this is one of my
characteristics and, frankly, it is one that I appreciate.

I am sensitive (in a different sense of the word). When they insult this environment,
it hurts my soul because I feel as if they are insulting me. I know that this could
be expressed better, but I am currently at a loss.











Future topics:

Advice-Giving

Priorities/Decision-Making/Ethical Dilemmas

"Marx Missed Some Things" (archival post)

Stereotypes (Personal Impact)

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