The Bhagavad Gita

I feel like Arjuna in this comic because there is a task that while I know must be completed I am hesitant and irritated to complete. This could specifically apply to the Bhagavad Gita because of the reluctance I have to do something I know that I must do. The 21st century American perspective of ones duty is different from Ancient India because we believe that ones duty is to themselves or their friends and loved ones, not to a higher sense of heavenly code bound duty. In ancient India this could also be used as a tool of oppression by saying that ones duty to a power could outweigh their personal interests.

 

Taoist walk

During the Taoist walk I felt at ease, more so than I thought. I have not been on the trail taken before and experienced it not through the perspective of a runner trying to go along the trail the fastest, but as a person who simply allowed the sensation of a crisp September morning to influence my thoughts. The sound of the wind in the trees, birds in the air, the smell of fresh green grass and morning dew. This all made the rare opportunity to be relaxed and at ease on a school morning. I felt that the walk was something that should be done as it allows students understand and experience, even briefly what attainment to your surroundings and the core ideas of Taoism reach them personally.

The trail in the picture shows the beauty and tranquility that a forest path like the one we traveled can have.

“The Times They are A-Changing”

I believe that Pleasantville perfectly explored the topic of the “Good old days”. When we look back at the 1950’s we see a time where everyone was happy and all was well. True that many things were good about the era, however there were also other things going on. Rampant racism in the south, women being told how to live their lives, and worst of all was the oppression that was not in the U.S in this period. In the U.S.S.R people were starving,worked without pay, and killed for speaking out. The same situation was unfolding in the so called “Peoples Republic of China”. Even in present day things go awry. Although most terror attacks are from Islamic extremists we still blame them on the people who have nothing to do with. The same goes for Conservatives,the NRA,Liberals,Homosexuals, anyone in the U.S is subject to these stereotypes.

Pleasantville shows what most people would think of as a Utopian Society. However, this seemingly perfect society lacked difference,color if you will. Everything was the same. But that is anything but perfect, nothing changed,no one and nothing was unique. That is what makes our world so special, Even though we have many problems socially, everyone is different in their own way.

When people started to change colors in the movie Pleasantville at first they were seen as “infected”, but later on they were seen as outcasts and were treated that way. This to me, shows the 50’s in a different view. True there were many good things going on at the time,but just like any time in human history whether it be now or in the past there were problems. It is up to us to acknowledge those problems and learn from what was wrong so we do not repeat it in the future.

 

9/11 From a Millennials view

I was 3 months old on September 11th 2001 when the World Trade Center in New York was hit by 2 planes hijacked and piloted by the terrorist group Al-Queda. Although I was already alive when it happened I was very young and did not remember anything from that day.Now though I know much more about the incident.Why it happened,Who did it, and what the eventual outcomes of the attack were. The outcome of this tragedy left 3000 dead and many many more injured. I know all of this through second hand experience and stories from my family members and teachers. All of them have one thing in common,they remember where they were when the towers came down. I wish I could why the terrorists wanted to do this,what made them want to take so many lives,the lives of innocent people.Although I was not able to remember the attacks directly they will always be a reminder of the world we live in and how people can endure tragedies and still rise up from the ashes like a phoenix from fire.I just hope that another attack of this size and scale will never again happen in my lifetime,and I hope to live for a long time.