Learning is constant.

I was asked the question, what did you learn about yourself this year. I was surprised by the question. I never thought any other “school”, other than the private school I attended, would ask that. It is not even a question of growth but a question of understanding. Have you learned something about yourself? It is such an interesting question. Many people have told me that young people do not know ‘who they are’ but the question I would like to pose is does anyone really know everything about them self? Are we not continuously changing? Do we not have to constantly re-evaluate ourselves?
This made me think of what that particular class has taught me about myself in the last year. I realized that I have such a different opinion and experience of schooling. I have always been told that I am missing out on the true high school experience. Maybe that is so, but was it such a bad thing? When discussing how the “normal” way of teaching is, I cannot agree with the students who have been to a “normal” high school. My school did not teach things the normal way. We were self directed teaching, which has been shown useful in post secondary schooling. I have the opportunity to make learning fun and interesting. Most of my friends from other schools were shocked and confused why I would do extra things for my classes. I like learning, especially if you have some input on how you want to learn. I do not believe sitting and listening to someone talk at you, letting information pass in one side and out the other is learning. Learning needs passion, you need to want to learn. I have learned this year that the way I have been brought up in my school have helped me instead of making me the kid from the weird school. Maybe I missed out of some of the things in a “normal” high school, but I am happy with who I am. I would be afraid to see who I could have been from going to a “normal” high school. It was nice to see that I could bring a different view of education to the class. It also made me realize that there is hope for the education system. Learning is something schools should actually do and not just promote. Learning, in the sense of self development, will hopefully make students more engaged in what they are learning. It would also make classes more enjoyable, I believe. If a student wants to learn and is actively participating in their class, I think the student and teacher would be able to learn more. Have you ever learned something about yourself from a class? Have you ever stopped to think that you might be growing as a person? Will you ever stop learning and changing?

Please take the time and ask yourself...what have I learned today?

Sounds of music.

Just I quick post, I promise.
I am heading to a concert tonight. It is part of a four night concert, some people ask why someone would go for all four nights, and well they are playing different songs (one album each night) and all the fan favourites. I am attending two of the nights and I am very excited. Music has been such a huge part it my life. Going to concerts is one way I support my fellow musicians. Their music has helped me through a lot of hard times in my life. I find that music is the thing that keeps me at peace. At this current moment, I really need to be at peace, since assignments and essays are all crammed within this next week. If you are stressed take a minute or two just to sit with your eyes closed, and listen to the music that you love. Let all your thoughts leave you, just be in the moment. No matter how upbeat or mellow the music it will probably calm you.
"You taught my heart a sense I never knew I had.."

What does society think?

How can we predict what society will think? Are there trends? Who says that it is what is acceptable? Can we change what is acceptable? Isn't being different going against what society wants? Or does society wants people to be different, which in turns make us the same? Is it acceptable for Barbie and air brushed ads to have such an unhealthy look? I guess it is, since we still have them. Is this not setting the ideal self image in the younger generations? Do boys now only want this type of girl? People strive to become the ideal human. Do video games also influence people’s perspectives? Does having form fitting armour, or huge muscles make today's society strive to have this perfect image? Does this make sense, since they want us to play their game and not go work out? Why do we have this constant push to become an ideal image? Why are we not promoting healthy and happy living? Why are we promoting always improve yourself?
It sort of makes me not want to do anything anymore. It makes me sad to think about what rules and guidelines our society is making for itself. It frustrates me to see good people being treated poorly because of their looks or of their social status. It makes me not care even more what people think of me, I am happy with who I am. The people I love and that love me know who I am. They accept me for the way I am, and never wish for me to change. You are your own being, if people cannot accept who you are, and then they have the choice to walk away. I do not think they have the right to say that you need to change.

Photo I edited.

Self... what does that even me?

What makes a person? Does self awareness? Does the perception of us in others?
If you lose your sense of self does that mean you do not exist?
Are you just a soul stuck in a body you are not aware of? Trapped in a place that is unfamiliar, uncontrollable?
What is your quality of life then? If you are constantly controlling yourself, an unable to properly communicate due to lack concentration, does it take away from your quality of relationships?
What about outer body experiences? When experiencing them do you feel non human, something of higher power? Are you human, or part of something else? What makes us human, control of the body we live in? What makes us able to figure out the difference between one another if we had no sense of self? Would we not be united as one whole? Is that the only way we will have "peace", or would there still be issues? What is the concept of self? What does it include, our morals, body, thoughts...? Why do we strive to have a different self then everyone else? Can you define yourself? Is it difficult or easy? Why?

Sorry for not posting, so much for the picture a day for a month.. I might try a picture each week and see how that goes.

Short and Sweet.

Sorry that this one is a day late. Friday night was not a fun night. Drunken people doing stupid things when I was already not in a good mood just put the cherry on top of a bad night.
I really do not want to rant about it here. I am over it.
Here's a picture.

 

A group of us performed for a talent show.. this picture was not taken there, it was at a concert. 

No Rant Today

I do not feel in the mood to talk.
I have not been feeling well all day. I think I am overwhelmed.

Here is some Olympic spirit.

Where are you?

Today I had to deal with things that were not my wrong doing, but my responsibility as a citizen to do.
Some might question what I did. Why did I deal with things? Why did I even bother getting involved? I was involved, maybe not as an active member, but as a bystander. It affected me even though it was not directed at me. It also affected many others who were also bystanders. When something happens what is your role? Are you a victim? A bystander? A perpetrator? Are you present at the situation? Body and mind? If you are not there mentally then where are you? Can you say you were actually part of the situation if you were not mentally there? How can you mentally not be in the location your body is? Is the body that we "live in" actually just an avatar? Do we control ourselves like video games?
If we cannot "multitask" can we really be in two places at once? Is it all to do with how we perceive our thoughts? Is this a reality or is this just fantasy? Is fantasy a better place to perceive us in? If it is why are we not all in our fantasy worlds? Would that stop war and hatred? Is our world actually being polluted? Or is it our minds telling us that we are doing something wrong by living in a fantasy world? Is diseases and death just a way of coming back to reality in another "world"? Is the light people talk about when they are about to die, an actual light of the "real world"? Are the people that we interact with computer generated? Are they other avatars stuck in the same fantasy as us? Are we stuck? Or do we choose to be here? Are the senses we encounter real? Are emotions real? Is anything real or is it all just computer generated?

 

Is it real? 

Can we ever be unique?

Dare to be different. 

I thought that this picture would be a good one to start off this post. Even though the pop tab might still be a part of the can unlike the others, it is the same as the others yet different.

Today I found a lot of things pointed towards this idea. Does our clothing make us different? Does it depend what your friends dress like? Do our hairstyles? Does the colour of our skin? Does the religion we believe in? Does the language(s) we speak? Does what we think about? Does anything make us different, or will there always be some one that is like us? Can anyone really be different? Does it matter if we are? Why do we want to be different? Is there a benefit to trying to be different? If so many people are trying to be different, does not trying make us different?

I find it frustrating when people judge others that are different. Sure we have all done it, me included. I have to say the worst thing that could be done, is to criticize someone and say that they cannot be different in front of a large group of people. People have rights. Yes they might use their differences as excuses or as barriers, but there is no reason why you should take away their rights. This embarrasses them, but can also lead to large arguments. The people witnessing it feel awkward and helpless. Should they step in and stand up for someone's opinion? Should they try to stop the argument? Should they tell the person who started it that they were wrong? Was that person wrong? Was it wrong to do nothing and sit by?

What makes you different?

Are we just puppets?

I read someone’s profile last night, and they said some pretty meaningful things.
He talked about us being puppets, unable to control how our lives change. Big moments happen and you cannot do anything to prevent them. He said that it is what you do after them that define you. That is when you realize who you are.
It inspired me to think after every big event, what should I do now? What can I do now?
You have to live each day to the fullest; you never know how many days you have left.


Picture Four

Costa Rica 2006.

Why all the secrecy?

It came across in conversation yesterday, that people who are not "straight" are still scared to show the truth to the world.
It frustrates me that there is still a lot judgment and criticism towards these people. Does a friend have to hide their preference in others secret to keep a friendship? Does a teacher have to hide sexual orientation to keep the peace within the classroom? Does religion hold back happiness of some people? So many questions come to mind about this topic.
I support people who try to find their own happiness, you should not have to marry and "love" someone who you do not even like. You cannot help who you fall in love with, why go through such deep secrets and pain to keep certain people happy? Your happiness should come first, especially if it is not causing harm to anyone else. Why can we not be free to love and be loved? Why do we keep putting others happiness above our own?

Picture Three.

Steamy hot chocolate to warm a cold day.

Day Two

Why the do girls feel the need to wear no clothes to impress guys?
Guys have imagination, they can think about what you look naked, so why do you basically do all the work for them!?


Picture Two.

 

 I thought they were cute.

Photos for a month.

To get myself started I am going to take my friend's idea and put it in a smaller version.
She is posting a picture every day for a year. I am going to try and post a picture everyday for a month. Since it is not the start of February yet, I will be doing this until the end of February, a bit more than a month.
Hopefully it will get me into doing this every day.
First picture.

 

Ribbon, I took it last night.

Why start a blog? What do I want out of it? Why do I care?

Many people make blogs, why?
Some believe it is a way to post their feelings and thoughts, others to self promote themselves. Everyone has a reason, what is mine, you might ask. I believe it is to express my thoughts, maybe not for people to hear/read them, but just to give me an outlet to rant or question things. I think it is important for people to talk about their thoughts and to have a place to release them; whether it is music, poetry, dancing, writing, etc. It is away to get things off your chest. If you want to comment then do, maybe we can learn something from each other. But do not just write a statement about how you do not like who I am, or what I am writing about. You always have the option of NOT looking at my blog.

The end, but the start of something new...