Winter time, after the excitement of winter break and finals, can suck. Spring break is so far away, Summer vacation even farther, and the chance of having anything exciting or fun to look forward to dwindle.
With the crazy weather that is predicted for Tuesday night and Wednesday, the school is buzzing over the possibility for a snow day. That is the topci each student, teacher, and administrator has on the mind, none with what I would think of as worry. Everyone involved could benefit from a day off.
Why, though, is that the focus of attention? It is because we all need something to look forward to, something to seperate the days from one another.
As we go about our lives in the dark days of winter, we fall into ruts, doing the same things every day without any change or excitement.
All this being said, we need to find ways of thrilling up our lives. It is not enough to simply live to get through to spring break. We need to create certain benchmarks to live for.
For me, the longest I can go without something to look forward to is two weeks. I have to set deadlines, times when I can know that something fun, exciting, or special will happen.
NFTY convention is 18 days away. Even that is too long. I have to set the Super Bowl, hanging out with friends, whatever, as my goals. This is an almost entirely psychological thing. Will I actually not be able to survive 18 days without somethign to look forward to? No, of course not. But the ability to be happy causes the need for something in our lives to look forward to.
So lets all hope for a white Wednesday.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
January 23
It is all too easy in our society to find scapegoats. Those people who we get to dump all of our problems on and blame. We get to pick certain people who will get to fall because of personal circumstance, whether it be because of sports, because of work, or because of plain old life.
It is so easy to point a finger at someone else and say "it is his fault things are happening this way." What is must harder is to look into yourself and decide that, maybe it was your turn to screw things up.
What I find most difficult to avoid is when we blame people for things that nobody controls. When the weather doesn't cooperate with our plans, when our plans fall through for whatever reason, when we get a cold on the day of the big celebration. We can't figure out when these things are going to happen. It is our job to just deal with them as they come up. Sometimes we look to others to blame these things on. Who can we blame so that we don't have to look at the situation for what it really was: a random act that maybe messed with our plans.
I was driving to a youth group event last weekend and blew out a tire. It was a random thing; I could have blown it out going to school the next morning, going to temple the day before, anything really. It just happened to be on the way to the youth group event that I most wanted to go to this month. I realized that I was getting frustrated with everyone who I was interacting with. I got frustrated with my friend who didn't answer the phone at the youth group event, even though he clearly couldn't hear the phone ring, or was busy doing something else. I found myself getting angry at my parents for saying I couldn't use my car to get to the event. I found myself getting pissed at the tow truck driver who was changing the tire, because he was an idiot. Now, was my friend busy? Yes. Did it suck that I wouldn't be able to go to the event? Yes. Was the truck driver not-so-smart? Yup. But overall, it wasn't any of their fault that the tire blew out. It was just the way things played out.
I learned there that it is always easy to blame someone. It isn't always easy to blame no one.
It is so easy to point a finger at someone else and say "it is his fault things are happening this way." What is must harder is to look into yourself and decide that, maybe it was your turn to screw things up.
What I find most difficult to avoid is when we blame people for things that nobody controls. When the weather doesn't cooperate with our plans, when our plans fall through for whatever reason, when we get a cold on the day of the big celebration. We can't figure out when these things are going to happen. It is our job to just deal with them as they come up. Sometimes we look to others to blame these things on. Who can we blame so that we don't have to look at the situation for what it really was: a random act that maybe messed with our plans.
I was driving to a youth group event last weekend and blew out a tire. It was a random thing; I could have blown it out going to school the next morning, going to temple the day before, anything really. It just happened to be on the way to the youth group event that I most wanted to go to this month. I realized that I was getting frustrated with everyone who I was interacting with. I got frustrated with my friend who didn't answer the phone at the youth group event, even though he clearly couldn't hear the phone ring, or was busy doing something else. I found myself getting angry at my parents for saying I couldn't use my car to get to the event. I found myself getting pissed at the tow truck driver who was changing the tire, because he was an idiot. Now, was my friend busy? Yes. Did it suck that I wouldn't be able to go to the event? Yes. Was the truck driver not-so-smart? Yup. But overall, it wasn't any of their fault that the tire blew out. It was just the way things played out.
I learned there that it is always easy to blame someone. It isn't always easy to blame no one.
Monday, January 17, 2011
January 17th
A man working at a store where I was today was talking to a friend of his. He turned to his friend and reminded him that the post office was not open today because "It is Columbus day, or something like that."
It is a disappointment to me that, on a day to remember Martin Luther King Jr (who is very different from Christopher Columbus, might I note), that we cannot even remember who we are remembering. MLK was a great man, a man who saw change happening in America, and wanted to bring about peace not only within groups, but between them as well.
My mother has always said that we should spend Martin Luther King Jr. day in school, learning about him, rather than sleeping late and getting to go about our regular, school-free day. I always used to shrug this off and be thankful that we have one less day of school. Today, though, I did wish that there was better education about the life of a man as great as King. We need to remember the work that he did, so that we will never believe that one person is better than any other.
I too have a dream. I have a dream that we look at our past and learn from it, and that we work together to work toward a future of peace. I dream that my children will not even know of racism, and instead grow up in a world where all are appreciated, not for what they are not, but for what they are.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." Martin Luther King Jr.
It is a disappointment to me that, on a day to remember Martin Luther King Jr (who is very different from Christopher Columbus, might I note), that we cannot even remember who we are remembering. MLK was a great man, a man who saw change happening in America, and wanted to bring about peace not only within groups, but between them as well.
My mother has always said that we should spend Martin Luther King Jr. day in school, learning about him, rather than sleeping late and getting to go about our regular, school-free day. I always used to shrug this off and be thankful that we have one less day of school. Today, though, I did wish that there was better education about the life of a man as great as King. We need to remember the work that he did, so that we will never believe that one person is better than any other.
I too have a dream. I have a dream that we look at our past and learn from it, and that we work together to work toward a future of peace. I dream that my children will not even know of racism, and instead grow up in a world where all are appreciated, not for what they are not, but for what they are.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." Martin Luther King Jr.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
January 12th
It is Wednesday, and I have finished four of six finals. Time to go to bed, so that I can do well on the final two. Have a good night.
"If you always do what you always did then you always get what you always got"
"If you always do what you always did then you always get what you always got"
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
January 11th
Wow. You don't know how good you have it until you see someone else more messed up than you.
On the day of the first round of finals, my mom showed me a segment that had aired on the Today Show this morning. This particular part of the broadcast was talking about a new book called "The Battle Cry of the Tiger Mom." It focused on a woman who had written this book about the ways in which she went about parenting her children.
During the video introduction, the narrator tells us that the two daughters were very restricted in what they could and could not do socially. Things that were not allowed in the household included sleepovers, play dates, watching television, or playing computer games. Each girl was forced to play either piano or violin, and was required to practice for between 2 and 3 hours a day.
When talking about grades, the narrator asked the oldest girl if she was a perfect A student. The girl's response?
"No, I got an A- once, in Calculus as a Sophomore."
There are two problems with that statement. First of all, an A- is, guess what, STILL AN A. What are you complaining about? I struggle to maintain A- and B+ grades, and you are saying that an A- isn't close enough to perfect? Second of all, Calculus as a Sophomore? That is ridiculous. What kind of math class could she be in now, as a Senior? I can't even begin to fathom what kind of brain surgery she must be capable of conducting at this point.
After the video introduction ,an interview was conducted with the mother and author of the book. She, a daughter of a Chinese immigrant, attempted to use "Chinese values" as the reasoning behind her, if I may say, CRAZINESS. She attempted to explain that, on the basis of hard work, perseverance, and love, she was able to raise two very great kids.
Kids? Try robots. She used her ridiculous ideas about what her culture believes important to raise two zombie daughters, who will never be able to experience what it means to live in the real world. If you are constantly asked to be the best, and no less than that will be accepted, than one day you will fail. Failure is not an option, it is a requirement. How can we learn from our experiences in order to be better people without first failing a few times. When the first time they will fail comes around, they will be so shell-shocked that they will never be truly able to recover from the horror. This mother has successfully doomed her children to years of therapy and mental instability because of her need for excellence.
The news reporter even quoted, and the mother verified, that this woman had once told one of her daughters that if she didn't perfect a piece on the piano, she would "take all of her stuffed animals and burn them." Really? You are saying that to a child and claiming that you will not cause any mental harm or emotional detriment? That is a clear example of dementia right there.
This woman even had to audacity to call out Western living as saying that American parents CONDONE teen drinking, drug use, and pregnancy. Really? Because I'm fairly certain if I came home drunk, high, and pregnant (well, that one would be something of a challenge, now wouldn't it), my parents would flip a taco.
This woman needs to take a very close look at what she is doing in the world. I think this relates to something that I said to one of my friends this week. Wrapped up in the stress and pressure of finals, my friend said that she needed a miracle. In response, I said that I don't think God really cares whether or not you get an A in History class, but rather if you were a good person while doing it. This mother should really consider what she is doing to her children, and ask if she is doing what is best for them in the long run.
God help us all, I guess.
On the day of the first round of finals, my mom showed me a segment that had aired on the Today Show this morning. This particular part of the broadcast was talking about a new book called "The Battle Cry of the Tiger Mom." It focused on a woman who had written this book about the ways in which she went about parenting her children.
During the video introduction, the narrator tells us that the two daughters were very restricted in what they could and could not do socially. Things that were not allowed in the household included sleepovers, play dates, watching television, or playing computer games. Each girl was forced to play either piano or violin, and was required to practice for between 2 and 3 hours a day.
When talking about grades, the narrator asked the oldest girl if she was a perfect A student. The girl's response?
"No, I got an A- once, in Calculus as a Sophomore."
There are two problems with that statement. First of all, an A- is, guess what, STILL AN A. What are you complaining about? I struggle to maintain A- and B+ grades, and you are saying that an A- isn't close enough to perfect? Second of all, Calculus as a Sophomore? That is ridiculous. What kind of math class could she be in now, as a Senior? I can't even begin to fathom what kind of brain surgery she must be capable of conducting at this point.
After the video introduction ,an interview was conducted with the mother and author of the book. She, a daughter of a Chinese immigrant, attempted to use "Chinese values" as the reasoning behind her, if I may say, CRAZINESS. She attempted to explain that, on the basis of hard work, perseverance, and love, she was able to raise two very great kids.
Kids? Try robots. She used her ridiculous ideas about what her culture believes important to raise two zombie daughters, who will never be able to experience what it means to live in the real world. If you are constantly asked to be the best, and no less than that will be accepted, than one day you will fail. Failure is not an option, it is a requirement. How can we learn from our experiences in order to be better people without first failing a few times. When the first time they will fail comes around, they will be so shell-shocked that they will never be truly able to recover from the horror. This mother has successfully doomed her children to years of therapy and mental instability because of her need for excellence.
The news reporter even quoted, and the mother verified, that this woman had once told one of her daughters that if she didn't perfect a piece on the piano, she would "take all of her stuffed animals and burn them." Really? You are saying that to a child and claiming that you will not cause any mental harm or emotional detriment? That is a clear example of dementia right there.
This woman even had to audacity to call out Western living as saying that American parents CONDONE teen drinking, drug use, and pregnancy. Really? Because I'm fairly certain if I came home drunk, high, and pregnant (well, that one would be something of a challenge, now wouldn't it), my parents would flip a taco.
This woman needs to take a very close look at what she is doing in the world. I think this relates to something that I said to one of my friends this week. Wrapped up in the stress and pressure of finals, my friend said that she needed a miracle. In response, I said that I don't think God really cares whether or not you get an A in History class, but rather if you were a good person while doing it. This mother should really consider what she is doing to her children, and ask if she is doing what is best for them in the long run.
God help us all, I guess.
Monday, January 10, 2011
January 10th
Finals week began today, and the whole school is in full stress mode. My school is not an easy one to attend at this time of year, because of the intensity with which it goes about studying. If you are not cramming for exams, you are simply not doing something right.
I have one teacher, though, who has been particularly outspoken about the finals frenzy. This teacher teaches on of my favorite classes, and has spent the entire year trying to encourage us to think beyond the walls of the classroom, to think about what we are learning on a more significant and worldly level. I think the class has achieved a greater level of success because of this encouragement, and I believe we have all gotten a little bit more from the class because of it.
During the week when most other teachers are attempting to fill our heads with the information that we will need to get an A on the final, my teacher was working on making sure that we knew how to use the material beyond that. The class he teaches does not cater well to a classic style of exam, so a final is a difficult thing to study for. He was quite critical of the exam, as a matter of fact, and even mentioned to us how stupid it is that we even have to take an exam, because he believes that it is better to have an assessment that reflects our actual growth in the class, something that the current exam fails to do.
I think my teacher is right on in this. Exams focus too much on letter grades: what do I need for an A-, what do I need to maintain my B average. The focus needs to start being more on how much we learned and how we can take that into the real world and benefit our community. How can we do that with simply an A on a report card?
I have one teacher, though, who has been particularly outspoken about the finals frenzy. This teacher teaches on of my favorite classes, and has spent the entire year trying to encourage us to think beyond the walls of the classroom, to think about what we are learning on a more significant and worldly level. I think the class has achieved a greater level of success because of this encouragement, and I believe we have all gotten a little bit more from the class because of it.
During the week when most other teachers are attempting to fill our heads with the information that we will need to get an A on the final, my teacher was working on making sure that we knew how to use the material beyond that. The class he teaches does not cater well to a classic style of exam, so a final is a difficult thing to study for. He was quite critical of the exam, as a matter of fact, and even mentioned to us how stupid it is that we even have to take an exam, because he believes that it is better to have an assessment that reflects our actual growth in the class, something that the current exam fails to do.
I think my teacher is right on in this. Exams focus too much on letter grades: what do I need for an A-, what do I need to maintain my B average. The focus needs to start being more on how much we learned and how we can take that into the real world and benefit our community. How can we do that with simply an A on a report card?
Sunday, January 9, 2011
January 9th
This morning, I played guitar at my temple, songleading for services as well as the parent open-house type program that my first grade class led. I played about 10 different songs, and was engaged in some serious songleading excitement. Of those 10 songs, eight of them were written by Debbie Friedman.
This morning, Debbie Friedman died at the age of 58. Her music, which began at OSRUI, the summer camp that I attend and love, inspired thousands of Jews all around the globe. Her beautiful talent brought great joy and light to the spirit of an entire movement. She will be greatly missed.
May her memory be for a blessing.
"Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away."
This morning, Debbie Friedman died at the age of 58. Her music, which began at OSRUI, the summer camp that I attend and love, inspired thousands of Jews all around the globe. Her beautiful talent brought great joy and light to the spirit of an entire movement. She will be greatly missed.
May her memory be for a blessing.
"Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away."
January 8th
Gettin more opportunities for freedom as we get older is part of what makes getting older fun. We are presented with the chance to become more worldly, and get to experience things on a level that we have never reached before.
When teenagers get freedom, they often do stupid things. They don't know what to do without someone keeping tabs on them, and therefore go out and think it is ok to get drunk or stupid (well, both usually). Most of the time, though, the stupid ideas come from the ones we are told to do. If you are home alone, you are TOLD that having a party is the "right" way of having fun in that situation. It is the true sign of maturity when you are able to overcome this by doing what is right, even when it is not what might be fun for the moment.
“Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.” Alfred Montapert
When teenagers get freedom, they often do stupid things. They don't know what to do without someone keeping tabs on them, and therefore go out and think it is ok to get drunk or stupid (well, both usually). Most of the time, though, the stupid ideas come from the ones we are told to do. If you are home alone, you are TOLD that having a party is the "right" way of having fun in that situation. It is the true sign of maturity when you are able to overcome this by doing what is right, even when it is not what might be fun for the moment.
“Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.” Alfred Montapert
Thursday, January 6, 2011
January 6th
This week has been an incredible act of endurance for me. I have had more paperwork, more writing, and more studying to do all at once than any other time of high school. So much for an easy senior year.
Here is what I don't understand. With all of the work that i have been doing, I have had to stay up until 11:45 three nights in a row. Today, I could barely get out of bed. At school, I had trouble staying awake, and trouble even going from one class to another attentively. Overall, it was as if I was running on empty. How, then, do people do waht I am doing every day? I have several friends who can't even think about getting to sleep until at least 2 oclock in the morning. Every day, some people will even stay up until 1 in the morning, just to get up at 4 to finish. They come to school with three to five hours of sleep. Thnking about that, they get less than 24 hours of slep in a school week. That is rediculous. After how tired I was today, I can't even imagine how hard it is to function after so much work. It isn't even only about staying up late. It is also about what they, and I, are doing with the time we should be sleeping. We are working hard just to stay afloat with all of the school work, extra-curricular activities, jobs, and, in my case, youth group matters.
This is a vicious cycle. We stay up late so that we can do all of our homework to be ready for school, but by the time we get to school, we are to exhausted from the night before to actually be able to do well or focus.
I'm ready to go to bed, mostly because I want to make sure I am ready to work hard tomorrow.
"We accept the nature of the reality that is presented to us" The Truman Show
Here is what I don't understand. With all of the work that i have been doing, I have had to stay up until 11:45 three nights in a row. Today, I could barely get out of bed. At school, I had trouble staying awake, and trouble even going from one class to another attentively. Overall, it was as if I was running on empty. How, then, do people do waht I am doing every day? I have several friends who can't even think about getting to sleep until at least 2 oclock in the morning. Every day, some people will even stay up until 1 in the morning, just to get up at 4 to finish. They come to school with three to five hours of sleep. Thnking about that, they get less than 24 hours of slep in a school week. That is rediculous. After how tired I was today, I can't even imagine how hard it is to function after so much work. It isn't even only about staying up late. It is also about what they, and I, are doing with the time we should be sleeping. We are working hard just to stay afloat with all of the school work, extra-curricular activities, jobs, and, in my case, youth group matters.
This is a vicious cycle. We stay up late so that we can do all of our homework to be ready for school, but by the time we get to school, we are to exhausted from the night before to actually be able to do well or focus.
I'm ready to go to bed, mostly because I want to make sure I am ready to work hard tomorrow.
"We accept the nature of the reality that is presented to us" The Truman Show
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
January 5th
First blog to say I can't blog. I have too much on my plate and just need to go to bed.
Great post. Better one tomorrow.
Great post. Better one tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
January 4th
Today was a weird day. Within one day, I went from incredibly excited to incredibly not. I went from happy to pissed at the drop of a hat. I went from stressed to at peace, and back to stressed again a thousand times. Overall, it was just a tough day. January is not shaping up to be an easy month.
Monday, January 3, 2011
January 3rd
Back to school day really gets a bad rap. So many people dread going back after winter or spring break. I am usually one of those people. This year, though, I just couldn't bring myself to be upset. The idea of getting to go back and see all of my friends and teachers was actually a really nice break from, well, break. I had missed getting to see everyone and work hard at school. So much free time on my hands was fun, but at the same time, I was ready to get back in the swing of things and restart my routine.
My favorite part of going back to school today was Physics. I know, who ever would have thought I would like Physics. Really, when you think about it, what is there to like? It is the math of science. I can't stand either of those two subjects. But this year, and especially today, I really enjoyed toe pursuit. The chance to fight my way through a problem to get the right answer. Because the whole class is really just a metaphor for real life. We are going to have problems. We are not going to have the answers. We are going to struggle, to throw "equations" at the problem and try to solve it. Sometimes we will get it right, sometimes we will get it wrong, but overall, our teachers and peers will be there to give us advice, guidance and support, and we will, eventually, sink or swim. Today, I was able to swim in Physics. Maybe tomorrow I won't. But it sure was fun trying today.
“In physics, you don't have to go around making trouble for yourself - nature does it for you.” Frank Wilczek
My favorite part of going back to school today was Physics. I know, who ever would have thought I would like Physics. Really, when you think about it, what is there to like? It is the math of science. I can't stand either of those two subjects. But this year, and especially today, I really enjoyed toe pursuit. The chance to fight my way through a problem to get the right answer. Because the whole class is really just a metaphor for real life. We are going to have problems. We are not going to have the answers. We are going to struggle, to throw "equations" at the problem and try to solve it. Sometimes we will get it right, sometimes we will get it wrong, but overall, our teachers and peers will be there to give us advice, guidance and support, and we will, eventually, sink or swim. Today, I was able to swim in Physics. Maybe tomorrow I won't. But it sure was fun trying today.
“In physics, you don't have to go around making trouble for yourself - nature does it for you.” Frank Wilczek
Sunday, January 2, 2011
January 2nd
Going to college is intended to be an educational experience. Who knew that the education would begin before you got there.
The lesson that I am getting right now is one in patience. The University of Wisconsin is going to get back to me before January 15th, but they do not tell me how much before that the decision will come. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be January 15 exactly.
I am someone who loves to plan. I like to plan ahead what I will do when, how I will do things, and every detail kept in order. Not knowing what your options are, however, really impacts your ability to plan. Wisconsin is teaching me to have pateince, to sit by and wait while a decision is made for me.
Between now and then, I will check my email somewhere close to 1000 times. I will do everything to keep myself busy, as if to make myself feel like I have a say. But overall, Wisconsin is teaching me one of the most valuable lessons it will teach me, whether I attend or not. Just got to stay patient.
“All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope” Alexandre Dumas Pere
The lesson that I am getting right now is one in patience. The University of Wisconsin is going to get back to me before January 15th, but they do not tell me how much before that the decision will come. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be January 15 exactly.
I am someone who loves to plan. I like to plan ahead what I will do when, how I will do things, and every detail kept in order. Not knowing what your options are, however, really impacts your ability to plan. Wisconsin is teaching me to have pateince, to sit by and wait while a decision is made for me.
Between now and then, I will check my email somewhere close to 1000 times. I will do everything to keep myself busy, as if to make myself feel like I have a say. But overall, Wisconsin is teaching me one of the most valuable lessons it will teach me, whether I attend or not. Just got to stay patient.
“All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope” Alexandre Dumas Pere
Saturday, January 1, 2011
January 1st
Today is the first day of a new year. It is also the beginning of my next journey into blogging.
Last year, I posted almost every week, each time on a different topic. This exercised my ability to come up with engaging information to talk about, and allowed me to come up with ways to experess myself both for others and for my own benefit.
This year, I want to try something different. Rather than a weekly post that is many paragraphs long, I want to attempt a daily post. These posts will be shorter most of the time, sometimes being only two or three sentences while other times reaching to multiple paragraphs. THis will allow me to work on stretching my creativity to allow me to observe what goes on around me and to find the value in the most often mundane.
I will post in this fashion every night for the first part of the year, and reflect back on it in June to reflect and adapt based on my experiences.
I will also close every post with a quote that is moving to me in some way or another.
Last year, I posted almost every week, each time on a different topic. This exercised my ability to come up with engaging information to talk about, and allowed me to come up with ways to experess myself both for others and for my own benefit.
This year, I want to try something different. Rather than a weekly post that is many paragraphs long, I want to attempt a daily post. These posts will be shorter most of the time, sometimes being only two or three sentences while other times reaching to multiple paragraphs. THis will allow me to work on stretching my creativity to allow me to observe what goes on around me and to find the value in the most often mundane.
I will post in this fashion every night for the first part of the year, and reflect back on it in June to reflect and adapt based on my experiences.
I will also close every post with a quote that is moving to me in some way or another.
“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” Don Williams Jr.
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