An Inconvenient Truth: I Am Not a Monkey

          Ever since I was in elementary school, my science classes basically said that mankind came from monkeys. As a Christian, you can see where conflicts may occur when I learn about evolution. Thinking about the theory of evolution honestly makes me furious. I don't get angry at the fact that it sounds so bizarre as other people might think, I get annoyed at the fact that evolution can sometimes make so much sense to me, but that would disprove my belief in Christianity to a certain extent. 

         Some people simply tell me that there's no wrong in believing in both evolution and Christianity; I can't. Consciously I am convinced that I lean towards Christianity, but I don't know what happens subconsciously. All of the scientific evidence to prove the theory of evolution makes it more plausible and so much easier to believe. I think the idea of scientists making evolution more difficult to deny with all the evidence really infuriates me. 

         If I were to agree that evolution is true, then that indirectly means I am denying Christianity, because according to the bible, Adam and Eve were created, not from monkeys, but from God. Evolution toys with my faith in Christianity causing it to grow more and more unstable, which for some reason drives me crazy, even though I am not a very devout Christian. My mind just can't settle to accept that these two completely opposite ideas, both, may be true.  

         Another thing that bothers me about this topic is that non-Christians point out that the idea of believing a supreme being is completely unrealistic. I agree that it sounds a little iffy, but the idea that mankind came from monkeys is just as crazy. What's even worse is that I can't argue because I sometimes lean more towards evolution.

          I have personally experienced phenomenons that proves, to me at least, that Christianity does exist. My own mother passed away, and re-obtained her life after praying! There has been incidents on the news where two kids who never met, both passed away and went to heaven, and came back to life. One of the kids drew an image of Jesus, and the other kid was able to pick out that exact, same picture from a collection of other pictures. The fact that evidence of Christianity does exist and people fail to believe these miracles, but believe that we came from monkeys drives me nuts.

        Kind of like riding a seesaw, going back and forth, I find myself not being able to stick with one finite decision. The theory of evolution simply brings stress upon me due to all of the debate and "what if's" and "but's." The only way to come to terms with it in my opinion is to avoid heavy conversations or debates about this topic. If not, I get too angry and can't help but get too caught up with it and potentially blow up on someone. 

           

Metacognition: Get Organized "Did I Always Have That?"

        Everyday my mom would constantly nag me to organize my desk. I would subconsciously nod my head in agreement, but I would just continue with what I was doing at that moment. When we were assigned to organize something for homework, I figured I'd organize my desk to kill two birds with one stone.

        As I scanned the things on my desk, I began to think of how I can organize all of the random items. Each individual items were completely different so I had no idea how to organize my desk. What's even worse is that almost every object I picked up, I asked myself,  "did i always have that?" It seemed like there was no possible way to do this task.

        Something I noticed about my thinking process was that, the second I was stumped, I would have a complete brain fart. My thinking process and mind would just stop and draw a blank. I realized that this isn't the first time this has happened to me. This project has made me realize that my thinking process is quite underdeveloped. My creativity and ability to go beyond and think outside of the box is extremely limited. As a direct consequence, in everything I do at school, I tend to be the last one to complete it compared to my peers.

        Although I wish that my thinking process was a lot more efficient and quick, I do appreciate that I am able to work on a task for a long period of time without taking breaks. My mind simply would not let me take a break from organizing my desk, even though it took me quite a while. The hardworking ethic that has been engraved into my head has subconsciously helped me throughout all of high school in my academics. 

        After completing the project, something I didn't know before was that I am a total slob living in a pig pen. Before I started the project, I was dreading it. During the project, I was dreading it. But after I had finished and saw how clean my desk was, I was quite satisfied and proud and even flaunted my desk to my mom.
                

iMedia: Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror

          In Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror," he talks about how he wants the world to change. One thing that is different from all of the other people that desire a better world is that Michael Jackson if he wants to see a difference in the world, he has to be start with himself. His lyrics really spoke to me and got me thinking.

          Personally, I think this is a very humble and mature approach to creating a better world. When I think about all of the times I criticized the flaws and faults of this world, I realized that I completely disregarded the fact that I, too, have to change. If I continually watch as a spectator, I will receive no satisfaction because nothing will change; I'll have a better chance if I, myself, changed in the ways I want the world to change.

          If everyone realized this idea and began to change themselves first, civilization on planet Earth would be a far better place, especially the United States of America. Foreign countries look down on America and its views and cultures. As a people, we are known to be selfish, stuck up, and full of pride.When each individual progressively changes their ways of life, America as a country would have such a far more popular and likable reputation.

          One other aspect of this song I really appreciate is the verse "I'm gonna make a change, for once in my life. It's gonna feel real good." This verse really says not only could you make a difference in the world, but it will "feel real good." Giving the needy assistance has an outcome, a reward. That reward is feeling good for doing a good deed.
          This song is very important to me, not only because the catchy tune, but because its deep meaning. I honestly feel that this song should and could be the revolution to how humanity should be. Rather than saving up money for that car or that iPod, use the money to help the needy. Give the money to the people who truly need our assistance opposed to showering ourselves with luxuries, which only provides for temporary satisfaction and feeds the greedy hunger within us. If you want to see change in the world, start with you.

Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror

Best of Today

          In class today I really liked how we spent the whole day watching Youtube videos that students chose. Originally I thought it was just a time to relax; it was quite the opposite. Watching the wide variety of videos, I realized how different and unique each individual student is. Everyone's perception of beauty and creativity was displayed through the video they chose.

          This activity made me wonder about what events in their lives influenced the students and how it defined their interests in life. I came to the conclusion that there was an endless amount of possibilities of how each student appreciates things. For example, one of the students chose a video clip of the Jackass crew. Although some people see stupidity, the student that chose the video sees art within their bizarre actions.

          After the period was over, I really connected the experience to my own knowledge and beliefs. I believe that a person should be open to all sorts of ideas because it will benefit them not only as a person, but also in the artistic perspective. Personally, I would like to use this activity more often; whenever I am with friends, this activity can help everyone to know each other on a deeper level by merely showing Youtube videos they think is interesting. Such a simple idea can take one so far.

iMedia: John Mayer:Heart of Life

          John Mayer's song Heart of Life really portrays that life isn't always what you expect it to be. Life is blunt; life throws you down. But people tend to focus the hardships in their lives, completely disregarding all of the great things going for them; not to mention the people they have in their lives.

          This song really spoke out to me because I've had a number of personal struggles just like everyone else and it really altered my outlook on life. Being a natural pessimistic, this song encourages me to look forward to the good things in life, which balances out the share of bad events in life. Helping me realize that the things I look forward to in life are so amazing, as a result, I began looking at the hardships as stages in my life to help me become a stronger version of myself. 

          Not only did I start looking forward to the good things in life, I began to appreciate my friends more. The song explains that the "circle of your friends will defend the silver lining" and "love turns the whole thing around." These lines helped me realize that I can't do everything on my own. Without the love of my family members, I would not be here today. There's one more thing I realized. My friends' roles were to make me laugh, spend time with me, and another that I ceased to realize - take care of me.

           By personifying life, John mayer sings that the "heart of life is good" and has good intentions. The idea of live having good intentions can really affect our culture today especially with the high rates of depression, including the teenage population. If somehow as a culture we can incorporate this idea into the minds of society, people of all ages will pursue life with a completely different attitude. If the people unsatisfied with their lives were able to understand this concept, they will be able to comprehend what life is about. 

         Not one single person on this planet can endure life without their loved ones, including friends. People will be able to understand that not only do they need their loved ones, but their loved ones need them.

John Mayer - Heart of Life

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          In Andrew's blog, he decided to connect the concept of creativity and humor, specifically in the show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" He explains how the skill of creativity can help a comedian's talent of entertaining his or her audience by making the skit original. The more creative a comedian is, the wider the spectrum of his or her skit can be. The cast of "Whose line is it Anyway" all have their own unique sense of humor. Since creativity has no limits, the variety of humor is endless in the show, which is why the show was so successful. The show is full of surprises and keeps you on your toes. Without creativity, the variety of humor will not be what it is today or maybe even cease to exist.


         In Kevin's blog, he explains the concept of Yin and Yang. Kevin explains the basic meaning of Yin and Yang, which is the balance of all things, and how it is required in our society. Using the United States of America's Government as an example, he demonstrates how the balance of powers between the actual government and the people make up what our society is today. With the power of Checks and Balances, we as a society, are able to function efficiently. Maintaining a balance in everything we do may be difficult, however the outcome of maintaining a balance benefits us as humans. Receiving an equal amount of both Yin and Yang helps us grow and strive for goals in life. Knowing the counterpart will always give you the upper hand in life. Balance is what keeps the world functioning.

Best of Today: The Novel's Structure

          Not that 8th period classes are boring, it's just that it's the last period of the day; my skin starts to crawl anxious to go home, or things begin to look blurry and I begin to nod off. Walking into 8th period, it seemed like the same routine, just like any other day, but today was different. Today we learned about Marianne Wiggins' way of structuring her book, Shadow Catcher, which acted like caffeine. I was wide awake, on the edge of my chair, anxious to learn more about her structure.
       
         Dwelling on how Wiggins set up her book, my brain went wild. Ideas and questions began rushing into my head the more in depth we looked into her work. Attempting to answer the question of why the book was in three parts, rather than just revolving around "Edward and Clara," my mind went blank. I began questioning why there is a character version of Wiggins AND the author version of Wiggins. Blankly thinking as I was sitting in my chair, I was stumped.

       Just like Wiggins said they would, realizations came rushing into my head out of the blue. What Wiggins was trying to portray was deeper than just explaining the story of "Edward and Clara." She wanted to do more than just tell a story; she wanted to show what she thought about "Edward and Clara" and explain her perspective. Constructing a three-part braided story is such an original idea to me. Without a single part of the three-part braided story, the story just would not be complete. Completely changing the book just by constructing the setup differently blew my mind.

           I began to think how I did not notice this at all when Tim O'brien's The Things They Carried, as Mr. Allen mentioned he did. Then I smiled to myself because I think I've matured mentally and now capable of understanding this process. One thought kept leading to another as I continued to ponder this idea. I was awestruck at how creative and smart Wiggins approached this book and I knew that this was the best of today.

        Although I wish I could make a connection, I can't. This idea is so brand new to me, I did not know how to relate to the situation and I was disappointed. However, I looked past that and began to think how I could use this for my own in the future. I could see myself using this to benefit my writing skills or simply thinking out of the box more. Creativity has always been a struggle for me, but Wiggins inspired me to do more than just the typical student would do. Looking deeper into ideas is what I want to be able to do not only in my future writing, but also in my day to day thinking process.

   

Connection: The Kids of Calcutta and Costa Rica

        Three years ago I went to a mission trip to Costa Rica with my church. Our very first task was to paint this run down church in the middle of a run down neighborhood. When I got off the bus, I was appalled at what I saw in such little time. Kids were no where to be seen and it was in the middle of the afternoon. The roads were just lines of dirt, the houses had no electricity, and the playground in the center of the neighborhood could not even be called a playground due to its lack of quality. Questioning how any kid could have a good time in this neighborhood, my heart sank.

        As we painted the church for hours, two little kids from the neighborhood began to prance towards the church. Shy at first, the kids grew more comfortable with us and they began to help us paint; not because we asked them to, but because they wanted to!

        In the process of painting the house more and more kids began to show up and joined in. Then, this one kid slapped my butt leaving paint all over me and laughed hysterically. That's when it all started. A relationship began to form between my church kids and the local kids. We began to chase the kids all around the church. All of the kids began to grab our hands and taking us around the neighborhood. They taught us all of the hiding spots for hide and seek and which fruit you can eat from the trees. As a church we made them bracelets and sang and danced with them. What started off as a tedious job, transformed to an experience I will never forget.

        As we were watching the film Born into Brothels, all I could think about were the kids from Costa Rica. I realized how the two different group of kids were so similar. Although they may not have everything that the kids in US has, they have MORE fun than we do. The kids that are born into families with practically nothing, but they know how to appreciate and cherish what they have. For example, the kids in Calcutta had a blast taking pictures; the kids in Costa Rica had a blast painting. What may not be so awesome to the kids in the US, is something so exhilarating for the kids in Calcutta and Costa Rica.

        Both groups are also so mature for their age. From what I observed in the film and at Costa Rica, when they go through tough times, due to their hard life, it is almost as if they are able to fight through all of the hardships that are thrown at them. They are able to move past the difficulties and look forward to the good things they have in life.

        The relationship between these groups of kids really blows my mind. Their stories really motivate me to live like those kids. Living life with an appreciative attitude will get me so much farther than how I am living my life right now. Being able to always put a smile on when things get tough is something I want to mold into my personality. Rather than complaining, but appreciating everything is how I want to live my life. The kids that live like the kids in Calcutta and Costa Rica are my role models. I can only hope to grow up as mature as these kids when they were only at a mere age of 5-10 years old by the time I'm a 100.

         


       

Captured Thought: Major in Music, Not Medical

          Ever since my brother went into the medical field, my family kept pressuring me to pursue the same dream as my brother. My family wants me to grow up wealthy so I can provide my children with a good life that my family couldn't provide to my brother and me.

          I thought it was a good idea. Academically, science was always my favorite subject since it is so interesting to me. Since it was my favorite and best subject I figured that the medical field was the most suited for me. 

          Becoming a pharmacist was my goal ever since I was in elementary school until this year when I realized I love music and playing music. Playing the acoustic guitar was a hobby I picked up in 7th grade. My brother would always teach me a new chord to practice everyday and I loved it. I never figured I would want to do it for a living until I got a lot better. 

           When the idea of majoring in music came to me, the medical field meant nothing to me. Although I would earn a lot of money in the medical field, I wouldn't enjoy it as much as playing the guitar for a living. The idea hit me. It doesn't matter if I make less money as long as I love doing it. The saying of "money can't buy you happiness" became so real to me. Doing what I love as a living is the happiest I can become in life. The joys of having all the money in the world wouldn't come close to the joys music brings to me. ♪

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