Walden Part 2

Ok, I marked more in Thoreau than I would have guessed. Does this mean progress is happening?

Here is another one I allowed my pencil to underline: "Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have."

If anything stuck out to me the most in the reading, this would be it. I have never really thought about life and possessions this way. In class we talked about how our possessions enslave us. This couldn't be more right. Paying for a car, an apartment, a cell phone, etc. can cause someone to take on stress and work more than would otherwise be needed. I know it does for me. In reality, I don't need many of the things I buy, yet I drive myself crazy trying to pay for it all. If only I could simplify my life, I would be able to live more freely.

Thinking about the cost of things in the way Thoreau does actually makes the whole thing more depressing. For example, if I buy a meal at McDonald's it will cost me almost a half of an hour of pay. WHAT?! Putting it that way really makes all the purchases I make on a daily basis seem absolutely ridiculous. How much of my life have I wasted on paying off my debts? How much more will I waste?

I also found it insightful to look at the cost of things not only in terms of work/time, but also in terms of energy. Think about all the times you've been exhausted, tired, etc. How many times was it worth it? For me, this is almost a daily occurrence and it is 90% of the time not worth it.

With that being said, I am going to take Thoreau's advice. I am ending this blog to go enjoy life and this weather. I am putting my energy into something else for a change......

Walden Part 1

Thoreau grabbed my attention right away. I am the type of person with extreme OCD and absolutely HATE when there is writing, marking, etc in my books. Now if it is a book that I don't care about for a class that I don't really want to take, then it is ok, but for the majority of my textbooks, I refuse to put any sort of marking in them. I made an exception for Thoreau. I really had to stop myself and question why I was willing to put pencil marks on the pages of this reading. My only explanation: there are just too many good quotes I don't want to forget.

The first one that I marked was right away in the second paragraph. "I trust that none will stretch the seams in putting on the coat, for it may do good service to him whom it fits." This quote reminded me not only of the times where I am trying to squeeze into a cute pair of jeans when I should really just let someone buy them who they actually fit, but it also reminds me of the times where I take on responsibilities that are better fit for another individual. In life, it is better to do what you can do and let others do what they can do. For me, I am constantly battling myself with taking on too much and not letting someone else do some of the work. This quote serves as a reminder that there are people who will succeed and enjoy doing something that I may stress over.

Another aspect of Thoreau that I enjoyed was the idea that we live our lives going about our day-to-day business and living like a machine. I can't think of anything else that better describes me! A lot of the readings we have done in this class have been reminders for me as far as trying to really enjoy life and "stop to smell the roses." I wonder how many times I need to be hit over the head with this before it will actually sink in?? Shall we take bets..... :)

I am willing to let go of my OCD a little bit and possibly mark more in my book as the semester continues.

The American Scholar

Well, we have definitely switched in terms of style in what we are reading. I found myself really enjoying "The American Scholar" despite my hesitation to Emerson's writing style. Once I was really able to consider what Emerson was saying, I began to appreciate this reading more. He made some very good points as to how one should look at life, the individual, and what it means to be a scholar.

One of the biggest take-aways for me came from the notion that life should be lived rather than focused on following others. In too many situations it is easier to just do as everyone else does and follow in the footsteps of others. In order to truly live life, one must be willing to step away from the shadows of others and step into the sunlight. It is only then that life can really begin. When I think about this, I think about all the times in my life that I have done what my friends do rather than what I really desire to do. I do believe that it is impossible to always live without following others, but I do think that we should all make a more conscious effort not to get stuck in the shadows for too long.

I also really liked how Emerson approached individuality. The idea that we aren't simply what we do is very relatable to my life. When people ask me what I do or question me about who I am, my response is almost always that I am a student. Who am I? A student. What do I do? Go to school. HOW BORING IS THAT! Emerson's argument that we are not just what our occupations are sparked a great deal of thinking in me. I have to reevaluate who I am as a person aside from going to school.

The "Influences of a Scholar" are not something I have ever thought about before. I really like how he breaks them down and addresses each one. Once again, Emerson made me think. I thought about each of these influences and was able to make them applicable to my life. Maybe this is why I am willing to look past my dislike for this writing style; Emerson requires one to think and reflect making the reading relatable.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
"Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst.

A Happy Surprise

I was a little surprised that we were reading something other than a poem or sermon or anything else where it has the "lecture" feel to it. Washington Irving was a pleasant interruption to some of the previous readings. I have heard of "Rip Van Winkle" before, but I had no concept of what the story was going to be about. In many ways, I was reminded of a fairytale (a bit more twisted perhaps). Irving has included a childlike sense of magic embedded with humor and an overall moral of the story.

I can see why the story is liked by children because I felt like a child when reading it. There was a point where I had to remind myself that this is just a story and very much made up. I think as children, we tend to get so involved in a story that we forget it is in fact just that, a story. Clearly one does not just randomly wake up and find themself awake years later. It just isn't possible. However, I do think there were many truths to Irving's story.

Even though we can't time travel, I do believe in the notion that one can wake up one day and realize that their whole life has passed right by them. There are times when i have this feeling. I can get so caught up in the moment and stress of life that I forget to really live. Eventually I look back and wonder why I spent so much of my time worrying about one little thing. For me, this is a constant struggle.

I also liked Irving's critique on political life and how the Revolution did not change much about typical life for the typical person. He did a nice job tying this into the story without being abrupt about it. Irving's humor also entertained me. I can't help but laugh when I think about the comments made about his wife. I can just picture an Rip Van Winkle sighing from relief when hearing of his wife's death. For some reason, this image just cracks me up. Irving definitely knew how to keep the audience involved and knew when humor would be useful.

This reading was a very happy surprise, and I hope to read more stories like "Rip Van Winkle."

Carnival Post

Over the past two weeks, our class has tackled a number of authors and a number of topics. Each blog is definitely worth reading because each person has a different perspective, but for the purpose of this blog I will give you some direction of where to head if you are interested in a particular author or topic.

Jonathan Edwards

Edwards is one of those people who is typically either liked or disliked and not much in-between. His sermon was full of passion and feeling, as were the blogs written about him.

As a whole, most people agreed on the idea that Edwards appeared to be trying to scare people into Christianity. Overall, this was not the most effective aspect in his sermon, but he must have had some point behind it.

For those that liked the tone of Edwards, Lindsey’s blog would be a good place to go. Here, she talks about giving people the harsh reality. She found Edwards honest and emotional. “The harsh tone that is carried out during the sermon is needed I think in order for the listeners to understand the seriousness of Christianity.”

Dan and Nicole’s blogs share the opposite feelings of Edwards. Dan said, “I felt as though if i had attended his church and if he preached this kind of message I would find myself going to a different church.” Dan wasn’t the only one that felt this way. Nicole expressed her concern about not feeling motivated by a preacher like Edwards. Both blogs are a great place to go to see this side of Edwards.

Benjamin Franklin

Many people commented on the fact that reading Franklin’s work opened them up to a different side of him. It is common to see historical figures as just that, historical figures. Ben’s blog and Nikki’s blog both share how their understanding of Franklin changed. If you had this same feeling, check out these blogs to see what they said.

Some of the words to describe Franklin after reading were: passionate, thinker, businessman, intriguing, “self-made,” and impressive. If you want to learn more about Franklin as a person rather than just someone pictured in a history book, I encourage you to read the blogs and read him for yourself.

 

John and Abigail Adams

People really liked reading the letters between John and Abigail. Julia’s blog is a great place to start looking at Adams. Like others in the class, she expressed a likeness for the actual letter writing. In fact, she went as far as to say she detests digital communication. She does a nice job of talking about the importance of writing letters.

After reading what Julia has to say, I encourage you to check out Esther’s blog. She talks about how real the letters were and what kind of impression they gave her. Esther says it well when she states, “There were few terms of endearment and no passionate declarations of love. But it was the very simplicity of their affection that appealed to me.” The letters did not scream “romantic” but if you read closely, you can see the pure love between John and Abigail.

De Crevecoeur

Not a lot was said about De Crevecoeur. Andrew and Nikki were the only ones to write about this author (so far). Nikki has some great comparisons to John Smith that are worth taking a look at. Andrew has a discussion on identity and what role American plays in that.

Olaudah Equiano

In Ben’s blog he talks about his fascination with Equiano becoming a Christian as a result of his enslavement. This topic is one we talked about in class and seems to be on everyone’s mind. Sarah’s blog also touches on this idea and she says, “His faith is something else I think is very unique.  He believes in Christ, but was introduced to Him by these people who kept him bound in this position. I find it interesting how he still finds that faith.” There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Equiano faced a remarkable hardship but had such a positive outlook.

 

Phyllis Wheatley

Julia’s blog is where you will need to go if you are interested in hearing someone’s thoughts on Wheatley and poetry. Julia’s honesty about her experience with poetry is one that many people can relate to. As she points out, Wheatley is one that is best understood after a great deal of re-reading. Her following statement sums it up perfectly:  

“Phyllis Wheatley was a brilliant poet. The majority of her organized thoughts are overlooked unless you re-read and re-read some more.”

If you are interested in reading about Wheatley or have the same experience as Julia with poetry, this would be a great place to go!

Olaudah Equiano

Reading Olaudah Equiano's Narrative of the Life gave me once again a whole new appreciation for the past of African Americans. It is so hard for me to really imagine a time and place where this was happening. I cringe at the thought that this treatment continues for all different races around the world today. The notion of mistreating people based on skin color is something I do not necessarily like to think about. I always feel really bad for the people and wish that there was a way I could time-travel and do something about it. Because that is not humanly possible (yet) the next best thing is to educate all people and to do our very best to avoid a repeat in history.

I was a little intimidated by the length of Equiano's story, but I was put at ease as soon as I began. It was a quick read and easy to focus on. I will admit, there are readings where I really have to work hard to stay focused and sometimes it is a lost cause. In this case, I enjoyed the reading so much that it flowed naturally.

The discussion in class really opened my eyes to some of the main ideas found in the text. One thing I did not pick up on initially was the drastic change in treatment after getting on the boat. I noticed that Equiano was having a significantly more difficult time, but when exactly that change occurred, I missed. His humanity was greatly decreased in the eyes of his captors. Both the brutality and severity greatly increased as well.

I am always impressed with someone who wants to learn to read and write and does so at their own hand. Equiano is no different. He had a goal, set his mind to it, and achieved it. If he was here today, I would give him a standing ovation. Equiano is very admirable as a person. Despite all that he went through, he proved himself to be smart, compassionate, determined, and faithful. In many more ways than one, Equiano is what people should strive to be like.    

Snail Mail

Let me start off by saying how much I LOVED reading the letters sent between John and Abigail Adams. It brought be back to the "old days" when writing letters to people was the cool thing to do. It is actually somewhat depressing to think that in my lifetime, the means of communication has drastically changed. Maybe I am supposed to feel super old or something... Anyway, reading these letters made me miss the process of sending mail to a friend, grandparent, cousin, etc. I still enjoy sending a card or letter here and there, but I have definitely fallen into the world of technology. When I really think about it, snail mail is actually more personal. You may be asking yourself how that is possible, but let me explain......

How many times does a person email, text, post to FB, and use Twitter in a day? For me, too many to count. I assume that is the same for most of you. If not, then I apologize for making such assumptions. When we are using these different modes of communication, how often are we really putting thought into what we type/say? For me, hardly ever. Once again, I assume the same can be said for most people.

Now, think back to a time when you sat down and wrote a letter to someone. How much time did it take you to write it? My guess is that it took much longer than the 5 seconds it takes to do any of the above mentioned messaging. As a result, letters are usually have much more meaning behind them. When I write a letter to someone, I have to sit and think about the exact wording I want and what message I want to get across. If and when I do write a letter today, it is usually to tell a loved one how much I appreciate them. It becomes more personal because I have to sit down, think, and use my handwriting to communicate. It is weird, but somehow handwriting makes it more personal too. Think about it, when we type on FB or twitter or email or text, we all usually have the same font. How original, right! Being able to look at someones handwriting and know that they took the time to write something just has a whole different meaning.

Now that I have rambled, let me get back to John and Abigail Adams. I really enjoyed reading the letters sent between them. I almost felt guilty for reading them. Wouldn't it be weird to have people reading the letters you wrote to your loved one? Talk about a breach in privacy! It was refreshing to look at a different side of John Adams. There is something intriguing about reading the personal notes of any historical figure. It tends to make those people more "real" and relatable. I could feel the connection between the couple despite the fact that they were no where near each other. Their love was clearly strong. Reading the letters not only gave me a better understanding of them as people, but it also reminded me of the importance behind sending letters.

I encourage everyone (including myself) to write a letter, note, card, anything and stick it in the old fashion mail.