Running has been my outlet. I began running a week ago, doing it as a way to clear my head during stressful times such as these, as well as to lose a few of the pounds I gained during the less-than-active months of winter.
What I didn't realize was how good I would feel running. I feel as though I am working on something much bigger than just my cardiovascular health. During my runs, I am able to digest my day, because I run right after school. I am able to really think about what has gone on over the course of my school day, and be prepared to go into the night's worth of homework well rested. I am able to become so physically exhausted that I don't think I can go any farther, and yet I get on it and keep on going.
Running is really just a symbol for the rest of my life. When I run, I am allowing myself to get into a mental and physical state of drive, yet peace. I am in the zone, ready to keep going, yet all I am focused on is where I am going. I run most often without a set destination, but rather for the simple enjoyment of hitting the road. I change it up every day, so that I don't become bored with my surroundings.
So far, I have ran on seven days. I have seen some amazing things. Today, I saw a hawk, flying from light post to light post. The grace and beautify of the animal was amazing, and I wanted to be able to run and catch up to it. I can't believe all of the amazing things I see along my path, and I'm glad I have the chance to take these moments to see them.
As I run through my life, I am going to be faced with a lot of hard roads. Sometimes there will be a sidewalk, sometimes I'll have to off-road it. Sometimes I will be alone, and sometimes there will be others running nearby. It will never be easy to go for a run, but it will always make me a better person to kick it into gear, and push myself beyond my limit.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
March 10th
We had a debate today in AP Psychology. Interestingly enough, I probably learn more in that class than any other. The reason for that is because, unlike my other classes, my teacher is less focused on "sticking to the curriculum," and instead focuses on true comprehension of the subject. We do hands-on activities, watch pertinent videos, and engage in interesting discussions.
Today, we had a fairly heated discussion. We were talking about the development of moral reasoning in human development. We were presented with a dilemma: If presented with the opportunity to cheat on a test and not get caught, would you do it?
I would say the class was split 25/25/50. 25% of the class were hard-core defenders of not cheating. They thought it was wrong to do, and was an unfair way to take advantage of the situation. Another 25% thought that it was there for the taking, and that it was only being resourceful to cheat, so go right ahead. The remaining 50% were those who were relatively undecided on the topic, and had important views in both directions.
I was one of those who said that I wouldn't cheat. I made a comment about how, in 10 years, nobody will care how you did on any test, or what your GPA was, but what will matter is the type of person that you became. I said that all of our actions create who we are as people, and I wouldn't cheat, because it is the wrong way to define myself as a person.
As the debate continued, one of my classmates made a comment that came off as a little bit hostile. He said that it was ridiculous that people were saying they wouldn't cheat because, if presented with the opportunity to do so and not get caught "everyone would cheat." I instantly challenged him, asking whether that was just him impressing his own personal feelings on the entire class. He was adamant in saying that we were not being honest with ourselves or the class in our answers of morality.
Here is where my problem comes in. It is vastly inappropriate to say that, because I feel a certain way, it is impossible for anyone else to feel differently, unless they are either lying or something is wrong with them. I don't think it is fair for one person to say that the moral decisions of another are wrong for being "too right", even if it may be less than realistic, or less than the norm.
I understand that, if you are not going to get caught, there are a great many people who would be willing to forgo honesty in favor of advantage. I refuse to accept, though, that I or any of my fellow classmates are wrong for choosing otherwise.
The fact that we were having a moral discussion in school was amazing. It needs to happen more often. But to do so, everyone needs to know how to do so in a way that will not insult or isolate others. That is not what a discussion is about.
Today, we had a fairly heated discussion. We were talking about the development of moral reasoning in human development. We were presented with a dilemma: If presented with the opportunity to cheat on a test and not get caught, would you do it?
I would say the class was split 25/25/50. 25% of the class were hard-core defenders of not cheating. They thought it was wrong to do, and was an unfair way to take advantage of the situation. Another 25% thought that it was there for the taking, and that it was only being resourceful to cheat, so go right ahead. The remaining 50% were those who were relatively undecided on the topic, and had important views in both directions.
I was one of those who said that I wouldn't cheat. I made a comment about how, in 10 years, nobody will care how you did on any test, or what your GPA was, but what will matter is the type of person that you became. I said that all of our actions create who we are as people, and I wouldn't cheat, because it is the wrong way to define myself as a person.
As the debate continued, one of my classmates made a comment that came off as a little bit hostile. He said that it was ridiculous that people were saying they wouldn't cheat because, if presented with the opportunity to do so and not get caught "everyone would cheat." I instantly challenged him, asking whether that was just him impressing his own personal feelings on the entire class. He was adamant in saying that we were not being honest with ourselves or the class in our answers of morality.
Here is where my problem comes in. It is vastly inappropriate to say that, because I feel a certain way, it is impossible for anyone else to feel differently, unless they are either lying or something is wrong with them. I don't think it is fair for one person to say that the moral decisions of another are wrong for being "too right", even if it may be less than realistic, or less than the norm.
I understand that, if you are not going to get caught, there are a great many people who would be willing to forgo honesty in favor of advantage. I refuse to accept, though, that I or any of my fellow classmates are wrong for choosing otherwise.
The fact that we were having a moral discussion in school was amazing. It needs to happen more often. But to do so, everyone needs to know how to do so in a way that will not insult or isolate others. That is not what a discussion is about.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
March 1
On Saturday, my brother stood before the entire congregation and read from the Torah for the first time. He became a Bar Mitzvah, and began his life as a Jewish adult.
I am exceptionally proud of the job that he did. He read with great pride, respect, and religious enthusiasm. It is very inspiring to see such a young person come forward and do such great things when it comes to speaking from his heart, all while opening the hearts of those who love him.
Whenever someone in NFTY is elected to a regional board position, one of the first things they are told is to find their successor. I have found one of mine. He is my brother. He may not be a regional board member, or he may be. But he will be a leader in the Jewish movement. I can know with certainty and hope that I will have someone behind me who will do amazing things and help to make this world a better place.
This is my wish for Logan. May he have everything he ever wants, and yet also struggle with life's important questions.
I am exceptionally proud of the job that he did. He read with great pride, respect, and religious enthusiasm. It is very inspiring to see such a young person come forward and do such great things when it comes to speaking from his heart, all while opening the hearts of those who love him.
Whenever someone in NFTY is elected to a regional board position, one of the first things they are told is to find their successor. I have found one of mine. He is my brother. He may not be a regional board member, or he may be. But he will be a leader in the Jewish movement. I can know with certainty and hope that I will have someone behind me who will do amazing things and help to make this world a better place.
This is my wish for Logan. May he have everything he ever wants, and yet also struggle with life's important questions.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
February 23
With a full day between myself and the Convention festivities, it is time for me to debrief. Unfortunately, there is too much greatness to share than I can fit in one post. Fortunately, it is my blog, so I can post as many times as I want. I will, therefore, post a little bit each night, for a total of five or six total posts.
First, I want to start with the most basic. NFTY is home. NFTY is home for so many different types of people. There were people there who had 1000 friends at their school, none as good as their NFTY friends. There were some there who had no friends back at school, and only were able to feel comfortable when surrounded by fellow Jews.
I will never forget how welcoming we were. I will never forget how WELCOMED I felt. I will never forget how amazing it was to see young Jews reach up to grasp their dreams, whether it be delivering a D'var Torah, singing in the teen choir, or shaking Dan Nichol's hand. It is unbelievable how much empowering goes on in our youth movement.
That being said, we cannot have this be this way if we don't work at it. For every moment that we enjoy our joy and peace, we must fight to maintain it. It is through hateful words and unkind actions that we can ruin all the work that was done before us. We need to be the ones who actively welcome everyone in, whether they have friends back home or not.
Everybody means the world to somebody. To NFTY, somebody means the world to everybody. And that is a beautiful thing.
First, I want to start with the most basic. NFTY is home. NFTY is home for so many different types of people. There were people there who had 1000 friends at their school, none as good as their NFTY friends. There were some there who had no friends back at school, and only were able to feel comfortable when surrounded by fellow Jews.
I will never forget how welcoming we were. I will never forget how WELCOMED I felt. I will never forget how amazing it was to see young Jews reach up to grasp their dreams, whether it be delivering a D'var Torah, singing in the teen choir, or shaking Dan Nichol's hand. It is unbelievable how much empowering goes on in our youth movement.
That being said, we cannot have this be this way if we don't work at it. For every moment that we enjoy our joy and peace, we must fight to maintain it. It is through hateful words and unkind actions that we can ruin all the work that was done before us. We need to be the ones who actively welcome everyone in, whether they have friends back home or not.
Everybody means the world to somebody. To NFTY, somebody means the world to everybody. And that is a beautiful thing.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
February 22
After a beautiful NFTY Convention 2011, here is just some of the response:
going back to school today was WAY too difficult. let's all go back to NFTY convention. please? ♥
texas ♥ convention ♥ nfty ♥
I said what's up Dallas. what's up? Jump on it! And by "it" I mean sexy potatos, beefsteak tomatos, floors shaking like an earthquake, Tony from Uganda, voices that don't exist, planes that leave too late, and so much more. I want to go back to Texas!!
NFTY Convention, what was your favorite/most memorable experience. 1 2 3, GO!!! ♥
I'm home. NFTY withdrawal time... :'(
listening to Jewish Rock Radio to help fuel my NFTY withdrawl
NFTY CONVENTION WAS AMAZING!! I LOVE Y'ALL
NFTY Convention was amazing!!! I miss and love you all, especially kutz 2010 kids
I will post my own words tomorrow. Tonight, I'll let NFTY do the talking.
going back to school today was WAY too difficult. let's all go back to NFTY convention. please? ♥
texas ♥ convention ♥ nfty ♥
I said what's up Dallas. what's up? Jump on it! And by "it" I mean sexy potatos, beefsteak tomatos, floors shaking like an earthquake, Tony from Uganda, voices that don't exist, planes that leave too late, and so much more. I want to go back to Texas!!
NFTY Convention, what was your favorite/most memorable experience. 1 2 3, GO!!! ♥
I'm home. NFTY withdrawal time... :'(
listening to Jewish Rock Radio to help fuel my NFTY withdrawl
NFTY CONVENTION WAS AMAZING!! I LOVE Y'ALL
NFTY Convention was amazing!!! I miss and love you all, especially kutz 2010 kids
I will post my own words tomorrow. Tonight, I'll let NFTY do the talking.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
February 8th
The Superbowl is always a time of high excitement and enthusiasm. Whether you like to watch the game or just the commercials, everyone had something to cheer for Sunday night. The game was too close to call, the commercials were clever, and the half-time show was great.
We also have Christina Aguilera. Her rendition of the National Anthem was highly anticipated. They talked about it on Sportscenter, Pardon the Interruption, and on most other sports talk shows.
When it came time for the actual performance, she did a great job. Except for one line. She messed one up. She repeated part of one line, while skipping another.
On the news yesterday, the anchors discussed her performance and read some twitter posts (tweets) about it. Both of the first tweets said that she butchered the anthem and that she owed an apology to the nation for her ghastly mistake.
It is very easy to be critical of the girl's performance for someone sitting on the couch watching. I think these people have drastically undervalued the pressure that comes with this kind of performance. Millions of people all over the globe are watching you, waiting for you to start the game. It is no surprise that the pressure got into her head a little bit and caused her to bungle the words.
It is here that we all need to pause for a moment. We sing the National Anthem before sporting events to generate a sense of national pride and to create a sense of pride in our country before competitions. It gives us unity and it gives us strength. We, as a community, benefit more from having Aguilera botch the words, rather than having nobody try at all.
We, as a community, need to appreciate the value of the spirit of the words, rather than the words themselves. And we need to have a little patience. Although she is an international superstar, Christina Aguilera is still human. She is allowed to get swept away by the excitement and get a little nervous. We have to appreciate the fact that she had what it takes to do it at all.
We also have Christina Aguilera. Her rendition of the National Anthem was highly anticipated. They talked about it on Sportscenter, Pardon the Interruption, and on most other sports talk shows.
When it came time for the actual performance, she did a great job. Except for one line. She messed one up. She repeated part of one line, while skipping another.
On the news yesterday, the anchors discussed her performance and read some twitter posts (tweets) about it. Both of the first tweets said that she butchered the anthem and that she owed an apology to the nation for her ghastly mistake.
It is very easy to be critical of the girl's performance for someone sitting on the couch watching. I think these people have drastically undervalued the pressure that comes with this kind of performance. Millions of people all over the globe are watching you, waiting for you to start the game. It is no surprise that the pressure got into her head a little bit and caused her to bungle the words.
It is here that we all need to pause for a moment. We sing the National Anthem before sporting events to generate a sense of national pride and to create a sense of pride in our country before competitions. It gives us unity and it gives us strength. We, as a community, benefit more from having Aguilera botch the words, rather than having nobody try at all.
We, as a community, need to appreciate the value of the spirit of the words, rather than the words themselves. And we need to have a little patience. Although she is an international superstar, Christina Aguilera is still human. She is allowed to get swept away by the excitement and get a little nervous. We have to appreciate the fact that she had what it takes to do it at all.
Monday, January 31, 2011
January 31
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.
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.
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