A World Reawakened

An Introspective Walk Through a Park

“Remembrance of things past is not necessarily 

the remembrance of things as they were.”

—Marcel Proust

        Finding nature was harder than I thought it would be. In a city consumed by building and development, it is so simple to look at the tree outside and deem that all the nature you need. Though I wanted the full experience of this assignment, and if a trip to Blue Hills Park is required for me to broaden my definition of nature from a tree to what it truly is, so be it. I was willing to trek to a park, but it got me thinking, what was the real essence of this assignment? A walk in nature would typically clear your head, transition you from the life dictated by screens to one without, but instead of doing exactly that, this park was able to transition me from a world of screens, but flood my mind into a mirage of nostalgia.

Generation Z

What We Bring to the World  

“Deep under our feet the Earth holds its molten breath, while the bones of countless generations watch us and wait.”

—Isaac Marion

        Time betters the shortcomings of the past. As a race, the only goals we can strive for are the ones we dream, not the ones we cannot fathom. As humans, our occupations have primarily been the same, movement, food, socialization, but with time these tasks have, for the most part, become more comfortable. Time has given us the liberty to advance these occupations' insight into making life simple. Generation after generation have been tasked with the mission of progressing this need for simplicity, that we so desperately desire. In so doing, humanity has coined eras with respective characteristics relating to the role they played in this mission. Though this generation has not accomplished much in comparison to others, it does not speak for what we have offered. This generation plagued with the fad of social media tends to focus on the more trivial things in life. Though often perceived as a negative trait, it can also be perceived in a positive light. The fact that our generation finds the need to share even the mundane, everyday moments in their lives shows a sense of appreciation, appreciation for life in general. Done in excess can prove to be addictive. Even though we find ourselves infested with, taken from the perspective of older generations can show that no part of life is unimportant, from thoughts, ideas, personal moments, no matter how small. Our aspiration to not care what others think is also rooted in social media, and that taken in moderation pushes the message to be yourself. This generation has proven to be one of expression and doing so unapologetically. Even as we still have decades of information to learn and grow, we also have a lesson or two to teach the world.

From Me to You and You to Me

A Mutual Sense of Respect

“A person's a person, no matter how small.”

— Dr. Seuss

        Respect is given, then mutually earned. For true respect to take play, it has to be consensual; an unspoken pact, held by the adhesive of trust. Without respect, the world ceases to go round; a general sense of acknowledgement for someone’s differences can be shown by talking to them casually, and that is respect. Without this concept of respect, the connotations left for restraint run wild, tempering with the very ideals this country was built on. When I found the likes of my respect, solely dependent on my leniency, I began to ponder why I was not worthy this respect. With everyday in that summer camp, back in sixth grade, came instances in which my morals were challenged by the test of restraint due to the maltreatment I was shown.

       I desire an ending, an ending to all this madness. An ending to all the uncertainty, an ending to all the misconceptions, and a proper ending to the school year. I am lucky, and I realize that, for if we never appreciate that, our lives would be shrouded in self-pity, but I do miss Fenn. Though I always try to look at the bright side of this online schooling situation, it is definitely not the same. The sleep is nice though, after some time to think about it, I would definitely keep waking up at five and getting home at seven to just finish off my year at Fenn, even for a day. There were times that I was frustrated, looking too far at my years of high school I felt as if Fenn of weight around my leg and I was being forced to drag it along with me to the finish line, but with time to think, Fenn might as well have been at the finish line, cheering me along through my journey, just before tides get rough. But now there is online school, hindering me from the experience; now, the crowd has stopped cheering, and I am walking alone in silence. The grading is generally the same, I talk to generally the same people, the homework is better, but it is supposed to be the same, but it is different, in more ways than one.

The Authoritative Power of Chores

Repetition Through Generations 

“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”
—George Santayana

        Chores hold the key to a working family dynamic. Though they may howl and growl chores are the leash that keeps us in our place, a constant reminder of how far we are from freedom. Though some are done to accomplish a goal, one that reveals its worth after completion, others are utterly pointless, or so they seem. Though these same chores may have a minuscule short term effect, done in repetition, it reinforces the family’s structure, with the kid always at the bottom and the parents, reigning above. It was after my parents had invited two families over to a homemade dinner had I realized the dishes weren’t going to wash themselves.

Same Old

The Friends You Never Lose  

        A friendship forged by age, Kukua and I have known each other longer than I can even remember. Though the time of our friendship flourished when we were in the first grade, the memories are so vivid, they burn like it was just yesterday. Day after day, rain or shine, I was always at her house, or she mine. Though I don’t remember the context of our discussions, we would ramble on and on, as you would expect from a couple of ecstatic seven-year-olds, and welcome the silence as we stared in anticipation at our favorite cartoons. Back then, life was simpler, when a slither of loneliness began to twitch the hairs on my back, she was there, slippers clapping as she climbed the short flight of steps, knocking on my door. We were like lost siblings who always found our way towards each other, till I strayed way too far from the pack.

What a Great Time We Live In

It Could Be Worse

“Things could be worse. You remember that, and you go on with your life.”

—Kevin Bacon

        From the joke in the classrooms to the next door pandemic, COVID-19 dictates our lives. Besides the people infected, whose lives we concern ourselves with all the same, regardless of who you are, a person who has been infected, or one who has not, we all share the same struggle. From that family trip, that was a year in planning, to the art class you planned on saving for the last. The time will pass and with them these opportunities. Though what do they really mean? After all, it is a simple memory, what joy could it really bring you, and even so, why should it bring you joy?

Diversity

Different in Our Own Right 

“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.”

—Isaac Asimov

        No matter how hard you try, there is always someone better. Someone who can take your best class, sports, art, or hobby, and simply outperform you in every way. Some people take that personally; some try to dispute it, some use that as motivation to eventually surpass those who cower over them, but I accept it. Though the question is now, what am I then? Everywhere you go in life, there seem to be expectations, benchmarks people require of you to surpass. Places where people put you to count you out, to erase you from the question before it is even asked to caress their egos in disbelief. Though in this reality, the society we live in doesn’t care for our feeling, but for who suits it more. Everything seems to be a contest in life, but I have no idea what we are competing for. The only things that seem to be apparent are the expectations.

Perfection’s Playground

The Truth of Stoicism

Methods of Success

“Warriors should suffer their pain silently”
— Erin Hunter

        Stoicism is the practice of living life like there is a tomorrow. Realizing that the pain you suffer now will not sustain, and there will always be a tomorrow. It is accepting there are things you can’t control, and being able to live life without hope. Living life knowing what you can control, and bettering that instead of trying to control what you can’t. The idea of picturing yourself in the worst possible situation, and asking yourself “ Is this really what I feared.” As I have tried to implement the methods of stoicism in my life, I found it eye opening when one of my favorite content creators learned these methods and gave me a different insight on the way I want to live my life

The thumbnail mislead me into thinking I was going to get more insight about the robbery, and then he would shift gears into a different topic as he usually does, but this was different. I had known he was definitely one for literature, but seeing this made me realize that he like all of us was human and like us he learns and evolves. Though when I think of him I won’t think of the fascinating way Diogenes lived his live, I think of someone who is being impacted by teachings, yet finding it hard to adjust fully to this ideology, just like me.

It is only from the most adverse perspectives which you can truly learn from another.