I've found, over this week-long break, that I quite enjoy college. I hadn't necessarily realized it until I began to write my French paper for this week. The prompt was "a cultural conflict" and it's been so long since I was in France that I couldn't remember any from there. So I made the brash decision to write it about my life at college versus my life at school.
I was going to include it in this post, but it's obviously in French and I don't want to translate it all. If you come and see me in the dorm when we get back I'll pull it out and read it to you, aight?
Anyways, the main idea behind it is that the things I miss from college are my freedom and my friends. It's not that I don't have either here, it's just that they're...different.
I love my friends from back home to death. You guys met Madison and Andrew and you'll agree they're pretty awesome. But the thing is, even when I'm home they're not physically as close as my #thirdfloorscholars friends are. I wrote in my paper about how when I want to talk to someone at midnight at school, I walk down the hallway and make Evan talk to me for a couple hours which of course keeps Hemraj and Andrew up. There! That's three people I've affected with my presence at midnight. If I want to talk to someone at midnight at my house, I have to call someone and then my entire family can hear my conversation through the walls and I might as well have just talked to them in the first place. Yick.
This is the second time I've stayed at home since being at college. Though I had to go back a bunch for my wisdom teeth, I always came back that evening (after doing my laundry and eating delicious food). Why? Because I love you guys!
I learned a lot about myself over Thanksgiving break. I realized that the last couple weeks I haven't been giving thanks at all. My general prayers are "Thank you God, for making the flute choir music easy" or "Thank you God, for my mug not having mold in it." But when everyone was talking about how they were thankful for this and that and the other thing, I realized I hadn't been giving thanks for a while. New plan! Give thanks more! Aight, got that settled.
Next problem: I learned some stuff about my friends this week that I can't say I especially wanted to know, but was rather offended that no one had told me themselves about it. Then I figured that I needed to be more open. My opinions of such things are very clear and honest, but I don't care if other people go against my values. I want y'all to know that.
WHATEVER YOU DO, I WILL NOT JUDGE! Y'all stop being worried about what I would do, or say, or think about you. Everyone is the same under the "not Sara" umbrella. Are you me? No? Then you can do whatever you want! I just personally will not partake, and I might have to remove myself from the situation.
This all lead to a semi-mental breakdown about whether I should be having more fun. Have I already missed out on these life experiences? Do I need to be doing more with my life? I'm only going to be 18 for two more months!
I decided no. I told Emma the other day (it was actually quite a long time ago) that I was having fun and if she wanted to have more she should be hanging out with me. I'm having fun, and I'm doing it legally and in a morally sound fashion! Oooh I should get a bumper sticker of that! Or learn to say it in Wolof and post it on our door.
The tie-in between these two problems is that I was having a mental breakdown and I didn't have Evan to run down the hallway to to complain to about how life is hard and I'm so boring and everyone hates me. Unfortunately for him (and Hemraj and Andrew by default) I solved that problem by being totally fine in every way. Darn, he'll never get to have that conversation.
Aight, y'all have a nice day now!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
People
I love people! Some people I don't 100% like, but I've realized that the longer I'm with someone the more I like them. This isn't usually how it works for other people. Even people I was neutral about at the beginning of the year I can't imagine how I would live without them.
Like Clay, for instance. At the start I was like, oh yeah that's Clay, whatever. But now I'm like "yay Clay!" He brought me Oreos the other night after Cara tweeted about how I wanted some. I'm going to miss the bajeezus out of him and I see him, what, like, twice a day tops?
I think maybe my excessive love of people has some biological basis to how easily I get addicted to things. As Emily is very well aware, I am addicted to cracking my knuckles. And my back. And my elbows. It's awful and rather disgusting. Yet, I continue to do it. Something in me cannot, simply cannot go on unless I do it. I suppose it's better than doing opiates or something of that sort.
I'm also addicted to Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate. I like to eat it at least once a day.
I think I might seriously die if Karleigh left. Or Cara. Or Evan. Or Gabby. Or Andrew. Or Emma. Or Emily. Or Leah. Or really anybody on the floor. Or my stand partner. Or anyone in my lab group. OH MY FREAKING GOD I LOVE EVERYONE!
What's this leading up to? I don't know. I didn't want to go to bed yet, and writing a blog seemed like a better use of my time than working on my romance novel (which totals probably 2 pages).
No one close to me has died. I wrote about that in a French paper. That might be why I have a fairly lax view of death in general. I'm not afraid of death. One thing I recently have gotten a little afraid of is things that happen to my body after death.
I've always wanted to donate my body to a body farm, where they use it to study environmental effects and stuff like that. About a week ago I decided I definitely wanted to give my brain to research, but it worries me. What if there's something in my brain that makes headlines and then my entire life is broadcast publicly to figure out how my brain turned out that way?
I stand confidently behind all of my past life decisions, just as I stand confidently behind every single thing I do in the present. However, as Karleigh helped me realize last night when I had a mental breakdown, my confidence is what makes me do well. Whether I'm doing something right or wrong, people will believe me and I become more confident. If I put that confidence into everything I do (eg my flute lesson) I WILL succeed. No question of it.
However, if I'm not around to be confident or explain, what will people dig up on me? I've never done something inherently bad, but as we discussed in French class, you can take a secret to your grave but after you're dead it doesn't belong to you anymore.
I don't like that approach at all.
When Herve Guibert revealed that Michel Foucault died of AIDS and was gay, it changed that entire generation's perception of him.
When I'm not around anymore, what are people going to say about me? Not people in my immediate life, but like in the future. Oh my God, things I do now are going to be around forever! People might know who I am in 1000000000 years! This isn't okay!
I think I need to go talk to someone. Aight.
Like Clay, for instance. At the start I was like, oh yeah that's Clay, whatever. But now I'm like "yay Clay!" He brought me Oreos the other night after Cara tweeted about how I wanted some. I'm going to miss the bajeezus out of him and I see him, what, like, twice a day tops?
I think maybe my excessive love of people has some biological basis to how easily I get addicted to things. As Emily is very well aware, I am addicted to cracking my knuckles. And my back. And my elbows. It's awful and rather disgusting. Yet, I continue to do it. Something in me cannot, simply cannot go on unless I do it. I suppose it's better than doing opiates or something of that sort.
I'm also addicted to Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate. I like to eat it at least once a day.
I think I might seriously die if Karleigh left. Or Cara. Or Evan. Or Gabby. Or Andrew. Or Emma. Or Emily. Or Leah. Or really anybody on the floor. Or my stand partner. Or anyone in my lab group. OH MY FREAKING GOD I LOVE EVERYONE!
What's this leading up to? I don't know. I didn't want to go to bed yet, and writing a blog seemed like a better use of my time than working on my romance novel (which totals probably 2 pages).
No one close to me has died. I wrote about that in a French paper. That might be why I have a fairly lax view of death in general. I'm not afraid of death. One thing I recently have gotten a little afraid of is things that happen to my body after death.
I've always wanted to donate my body to a body farm, where they use it to study environmental effects and stuff like that. About a week ago I decided I definitely wanted to give my brain to research, but it worries me. What if there's something in my brain that makes headlines and then my entire life is broadcast publicly to figure out how my brain turned out that way?
I stand confidently behind all of my past life decisions, just as I stand confidently behind every single thing I do in the present. However, as Karleigh helped me realize last night when I had a mental breakdown, my confidence is what makes me do well. Whether I'm doing something right or wrong, people will believe me and I become more confident. If I put that confidence into everything I do (eg my flute lesson) I WILL succeed. No question of it.
However, if I'm not around to be confident or explain, what will people dig up on me? I've never done something inherently bad, but as we discussed in French class, you can take a secret to your grave but after you're dead it doesn't belong to you anymore.
I don't like that approach at all.
When Herve Guibert revealed that Michel Foucault died of AIDS and was gay, it changed that entire generation's perception of him.
When I'm not around anymore, what are people going to say about me? Not people in my immediate life, but like in the future. Oh my God, things I do now are going to be around forever! People might know who I am in 1000000000 years! This isn't okay!
I think I need to go talk to someone. Aight.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Classical Piano Sonatinas
Now I don't know how many people know this about me, but I love to play classical piano sonatas and sonatinas. I like to play them really loud and really really fast. I guarantee that about half of the FAC could hear me just about 10 minutes ago.
The question is, if you like to play classical piano so much, why don't you ever play it in a professional setting? Or at least have a lesson or something?
And the answer is because as of the last year or so, I only play classical music when I'm really upset. I will play contemporary or romantic music if I'm just in a bad mood and need uplifting, and I will play Christian music when I'm in a good mood. But I only ever play classical when I need to cool down or stop myself from crying.
But wait, Sara, why is this the only time you've played classical this year so far? That's because I haven't really been upset until now. Not upset as in angry, upset as in heart racing, palms sweating, can't talk, suddenly become depressed upset.
So here's what went down today:
1:15 went to Scholar's
1:15-1:45 went into emotional turmoil
1:45-2:15 symptoms began to decrease
2:15-2:20 sudden reoccurrance of symptoms
2:20-2:25 got piano books
2:30-2:50 played classical music very loud and very fast
3:00 began writing blog
Let's break it down even further between 2:30 and 2:50.
I began with a song I knew I had under my fingers, and might still be memorized:
Sonata No. 6 in C Minor third movement by Giovanni Battista Pescetti
While playing this I started thinking about why I was upset. "What's going on? Why is this bothering me so much? What can I do about it?"
I still don't have any answers.
I thought for a challenge I would move to:
Invention in A Minor by JS Bach
Ok, I admit it, JS Bach is not a classical composer, he is a baroque composer. I still like him, and the tricky notes and fingerings kept me from getting more upset. I never completely mastered this song for a recital so I only have motor memory for some very difficult sections.
From Foreign Lands and Places [or people] by Robert Schumann
I actually had forgotten that I had ever learned to play this song and was pleasantly surprised at how well my body remembered it. It allowed for a lot of thinking.
I hypothesized that I was probably upset because of some other stuff that has happened in my life previously. I also have a problem with conflict, even if I am not the target of the aggression. I spoke up in class only because I was confident that my information was correct and that it tied directly to the conversation and was a viable theory.
I also thought about how this song was kind of like my emotions today. There's a nice gentle first section which you repeat. Then in the middle there's a louder kind of clankier section (that's scholars class) then you end all nice and soft again.
Waltz in B Minor by Frederic Chopin
Chopin is also not a classical composer. This doesn't matter because I only got through the first page of this song before I had had enough of it. I worked this song up probably five or so years ago and was so proud of it. Since then I haven't really played it and I was not impressed with my skill level.
Sonatina in C Major by Friedrich Kuhlau
This is by far my go-to unhappy song. I have distinct memories of coming home from school right after my first boyfriend broke up with me and not even talking to my mother, just going straight to the piano and playing this over and over again.
It's only a C-level piece and I've played it for years so it led to more thinking.
"Why does playing piano make me feel better?" Because I always play piano when I'm upset. It's something I can do that doesn't require anyone else.
"Should I become a performance major if I get so much enjoyment out of this?" No. I play piano for me, and me alone. Never will I subject myself to someone else's willy-nilly concert they want me to play at. I will play whatever I want, whenever I want, with whomever I want.
Sonatina in D Major by Muzio Clementi
This is the last piece I played, and I picked it to go last because it was one of my proudest accomplishments in piano. While not actually all that difficult now, when I picked it it was far longer and technical than I expected when I decided to memorize it for a competition.
Anyways, what should one get out of this blog post? That I really like to play classical music and I'm sorry if I interrupted anyone's practice in the FAC. Also, that I don't really want to discuss what happened in Scholar's today and thank the Lord [Gandhi's in the sky] that today is almost over and yesterday will never come back.
The question is, if you like to play classical piano so much, why don't you ever play it in a professional setting? Or at least have a lesson or something?
And the answer is because as of the last year or so, I only play classical music when I'm really upset. I will play contemporary or romantic music if I'm just in a bad mood and need uplifting, and I will play Christian music when I'm in a good mood. But I only ever play classical when I need to cool down or stop myself from crying.
But wait, Sara, why is this the only time you've played classical this year so far? That's because I haven't really been upset until now. Not upset as in angry, upset as in heart racing, palms sweating, can't talk, suddenly become depressed upset.
So here's what went down today:
1:15 went to Scholar's
1:15-1:45 went into emotional turmoil
1:45-2:15 symptoms began to decrease
2:15-2:20 sudden reoccurrance of symptoms
2:20-2:25 got piano books
2:30-2:50 played classical music very loud and very fast
3:00 began writing blog
Let's break it down even further between 2:30 and 2:50.
I began with a song I knew I had under my fingers, and might still be memorized:
Sonata No. 6 in C Minor third movement by Giovanni Battista Pescetti
While playing this I started thinking about why I was upset. "What's going on? Why is this bothering me so much? What can I do about it?"
I still don't have any answers.
I thought for a challenge I would move to:
Invention in A Minor by JS Bach
Ok, I admit it, JS Bach is not a classical composer, he is a baroque composer. I still like him, and the tricky notes and fingerings kept me from getting more upset. I never completely mastered this song for a recital so I only have motor memory for some very difficult sections.
From Foreign Lands and Places [or people] by Robert Schumann
I actually had forgotten that I had ever learned to play this song and was pleasantly surprised at how well my body remembered it. It allowed for a lot of thinking.
I hypothesized that I was probably upset because of some other stuff that has happened in my life previously. I also have a problem with conflict, even if I am not the target of the aggression. I spoke up in class only because I was confident that my information was correct and that it tied directly to the conversation and was a viable theory.
I also thought about how this song was kind of like my emotions today. There's a nice gentle first section which you repeat. Then in the middle there's a louder kind of clankier section (that's scholars class) then you end all nice and soft again.
Waltz in B Minor by Frederic Chopin
Chopin is also not a classical composer. This doesn't matter because I only got through the first page of this song before I had had enough of it. I worked this song up probably five or so years ago and was so proud of it. Since then I haven't really played it and I was not impressed with my skill level.
Sonatina in C Major by Friedrich Kuhlau
This is by far my go-to unhappy song. I have distinct memories of coming home from school right after my first boyfriend broke up with me and not even talking to my mother, just going straight to the piano and playing this over and over again.
It's only a C-level piece and I've played it for years so it led to more thinking.
"Why does playing piano make me feel better?" Because I always play piano when I'm upset. It's something I can do that doesn't require anyone else.
"Should I become a performance major if I get so much enjoyment out of this?" No. I play piano for me, and me alone. Never will I subject myself to someone else's willy-nilly concert they want me to play at. I will play whatever I want, whenever I want, with whomever I want.
Sonatina in D Major by Muzio Clementi
This is the last piece I played, and I picked it to go last because it was one of my proudest accomplishments in piano. While not actually all that difficult now, when I picked it it was far longer and technical than I expected when I decided to memorize it for a competition.
Anyways, what should one get out of this blog post? That I really like to play classical music and I'm sorry if I interrupted anyone's practice in the FAC. Also, that I don't really want to discuss what happened in Scholar's today and thank the Lord [Gandhi's in the sky] that today is almost over and yesterday will never come back.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Evolution Assignment for Biology
We had to do an assignment for Biology 151 due on Friday about evolution and how it fits in with creationism. It doesn't. I think it's a stupid topic to discuss and this new professor we will have (starting Friday) has officially made everyone hate her. Don't get me wrong, I really like her and she seems really nice, but that's only because I know her from lab.
Anyways, my views on evolution. It's real. It happened. Everyone has their own beliefs, get over it if you don't like them.
For your perusal, I have included my evolution assignment that I just wrote right now.
My personal point of
view is that creationism and evolution both strive to explain the unexplainable
and choosing between them is a moot point.
Darwin’s theory of natural selection entirely destroys the idea of
creationism. In the bible, whether you
read the first creation story or the second, man and animals were created
distinctly separate. The only animal
created from another animal was Eve who was taken from Adam’s rib. As no one knows what God’s image is, besides
the fact that humans were made in it, one can assume God looks just like a
human and they are distinct from animals.
Thus, Darwin’s theory discounts humans as being in God’s image.
The value of the Bible is what one puts into it. There are many laws in Leviticus no one
follows anymore, but as a people Christians still put value in the Bible. If, in fact, the Bible is incorrect about the
age of the Earth, does it matter since so many other facts have been
discounted?
If a person believed the Earth is only 6,000 years old,
they clearly do not understand natural sciences in the least part. If they do not truly understand the sciences,
their view will be skewed and the scientific community has no reason to take
part in their tomfoolery. A person will
believe what they wish to believe. As
psychological sciences have found, belief perseverance will occur and said
person will continually find information that contributes to their belief and
will forget or negate information against it.
Creationism has been trying to refute evolution since its
inception, but until there is an answer everyone can agree on, neither side is
truly wrong.
Friday, November 8, 2013
AIDS
The book I've been reading in French class has really made me think more about AIDS and how it's discussed and thought of in different cultures. The book is called "A l'ami qui ne m'a pas sauve la vie" which means "to the friend who didn't save my life."
This book is semi-autobiographical like all the other books we've read this semester. The author Herve Guibert, discusses his diagnosis (with AIDS) and how his life changes dramatically afterwards. I believe this book was written in 1988, just three years before Herve's death.
Hearing about Herve's struggles with the disease makes me wonder why we have the ridiculous stereotype that only gay men get AIDS. I know now why we have that. It's because we never talk about anyone else!
I originally hated this book. Why on earth do we have to keep reading about people who die! I want to read about happy people! Not dead people! Goodness gracious!
As I read Herve's acceptance of death and his symptoms, I begin to like him more as a character. As compared to his partner, Herve is a more easily sympathize-able character.
My perception of gay men with AIDS changed again on Thursday in class when we began the movie "Les Nuits Fauves" which translates to "the savage nights." I thought I would like this movie way more... however I did not.
Last Tuesday, we discussed the director/author/protagonist Cyril Collard in class. His movie, originally a book, is also semi-autobiographical about a bisexual man who discovers he has AIDS. After hearing some of his history (this was produced about the same time as "A l'ami...") I thought I would much prefer Cyril over Herve any day. I have a favorite quote from him which I wrote in my book:
"Certains s'ecroulent parce qu'ils se laissent ecrouler par la maladie. D'autres se battent."
"Some are crushed because they let themselves be crumbled by the illness. Others fight."
Cyril said this in response to Herve's book. He thought that Herve was just waiting for death and didn't care about life anymore. I agree with him somewhat. Herve died from complications from attempted suicide. It makes sense to me to not let your illness get the better of you. You should fight against it!
However, from what I've seen from Cyril's movie, I absolutely detest him as a person. He told his girlfriend after having sexual relations on multiple occasions that he had AIDS and he had known all along. He purposefully lets her get into dangerous situations in addition to giving her AIDS. Cyril's male partner also has a girlfriend that he is cheating on.
None of this is acceptable to me. Nonetheless, after Cyril's death (two years after Herve's) the president of France declared it a loss of a great cultural influence. If this is your culture, I'd rather not be a part of it!
Herve, after learning his diagnosis, immediately tells his partner and is careful. I support his decision about this. Maybe he's accepting death, or maybe he realizes his previous behavior would be risky for others and so JUST CALMS IT DOWN. I feel sympathy for Herve, but I've none to spare for Cyril. Maybe he's "living" but he doesn't have to do it like that.
As I write this, I'm listening to the soundtrack to RENT, one of my favorite musicals. A great many of the characters have AIDS and they do stupid things as well, but none of them are vicious and they never purposefully put harm upon one another. As a line from one of the songs goes:
"Living with, living with, not dying from disease!"
It's all how you put things into perspective. But I don't think perspective is a reason to dislike someone else's personal work or put other people in danger.
I'm glad the war on AIDS continues, and hopefully some day they will find either a cure or enough preventative measures to help everyone in the world. Maybe in the future no one will have to write an autobiography about AIDS ever again.
This book is semi-autobiographical like all the other books we've read this semester. The author Herve Guibert, discusses his diagnosis (with AIDS) and how his life changes dramatically afterwards. I believe this book was written in 1988, just three years before Herve's death.
Hearing about Herve's struggles with the disease makes me wonder why we have the ridiculous stereotype that only gay men get AIDS. I know now why we have that. It's because we never talk about anyone else!
I originally hated this book. Why on earth do we have to keep reading about people who die! I want to read about happy people! Not dead people! Goodness gracious!
As I read Herve's acceptance of death and his symptoms, I begin to like him more as a character. As compared to his partner, Herve is a more easily sympathize-able character.
My perception of gay men with AIDS changed again on Thursday in class when we began the movie "Les Nuits Fauves" which translates to "the savage nights." I thought I would like this movie way more... however I did not.
Last Tuesday, we discussed the director/author/protagonist Cyril Collard in class. His movie, originally a book, is also semi-autobiographical about a bisexual man who discovers he has AIDS. After hearing some of his history (this was produced about the same time as "A l'ami...") I thought I would much prefer Cyril over Herve any day. I have a favorite quote from him which I wrote in my book:
"Certains s'ecroulent parce qu'ils se laissent ecrouler par la maladie. D'autres se battent."
"Some are crushed because they let themselves be crumbled by the illness. Others fight."
Cyril said this in response to Herve's book. He thought that Herve was just waiting for death and didn't care about life anymore. I agree with him somewhat. Herve died from complications from attempted suicide. It makes sense to me to not let your illness get the better of you. You should fight against it!
However, from what I've seen from Cyril's movie, I absolutely detest him as a person. He told his girlfriend after having sexual relations on multiple occasions that he had AIDS and he had known all along. He purposefully lets her get into dangerous situations in addition to giving her AIDS. Cyril's male partner also has a girlfriend that he is cheating on.
None of this is acceptable to me. Nonetheless, after Cyril's death (two years after Herve's) the president of France declared it a loss of a great cultural influence. If this is your culture, I'd rather not be a part of it!
Herve, after learning his diagnosis, immediately tells his partner and is careful. I support his decision about this. Maybe he's accepting death, or maybe he realizes his previous behavior would be risky for others and so JUST CALMS IT DOWN. I feel sympathy for Herve, but I've none to spare for Cyril. Maybe he's "living" but he doesn't have to do it like that.
As I write this, I'm listening to the soundtrack to RENT, one of my favorite musicals. A great many of the characters have AIDS and they do stupid things as well, but none of them are vicious and they never purposefully put harm upon one another. As a line from one of the songs goes:
"Living with, living with, not dying from disease!"
It's all how you put things into perspective. But I don't think perspective is a reason to dislike someone else's personal work or put other people in danger.
I'm glad the war on AIDS continues, and hopefully some day they will find either a cure or enough preventative measures to help everyone in the world. Maybe in the future no one will have to write an autobiography about AIDS ever again.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Abortion
Now as everyone knows, I tend to have very strong views on a lot of things. As I discovered during French class today, it doesn't matter what language I'm speaking in, I believe everyone deserves respect for their own choices.
"Vrai ou Faux: Herve a raison de ne pas vouloir annoncer sa seropositivite a ses parents."
True or false: Herve had reason to not announce his positivity [for AIDS] to his parents.
After a long discussion to Tiffany about how I thought this question wasn't even relevant because "sa raison est sa raison. S'il est notre raison ca sera different" my response was:
"Il a toujours le droit de l'avouer a les personnes qu'il a choisi. C'est pas notre place pour le juger."
He always has the right to confess it to the people he has chosen. It's not our place to judge.
Now, the main idea behind this question was to talk about how he revealed having AIDS to the entire world through his book but not to his parents in person. However, I got totally off and only wanted to talk about how it's not for us to decide whether his reasons were valid because he had already done it and we don't need to discuss whether he had reasons because OBVIOUSLY HE DID in order to do it.
What does this have to do with abortion?
Absolutely everything.
I, personally, believe that everyone has the right to their own bodies. I am 100% pro-choice. I know that people are going to have abortions whether or not I like it; so I think that there should be safe, available, legal options.
I know that I would never undergo an abortion, but I also know that I will never put myself in that situation in the first place. I don't believe in pre-marital sex and I believe that God will give me a child if He has the desire to do so.
That being said, I don't have the authority to tell someone they can't do what they want with their bodies. No one is going to physically murder their baby, that's just ridiculous. People that have abortions have them for reasons or THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THEM.
Yes. I am yelling about this. Aren't you?
Here's the next little tidbit (it comes directly from my mother):
[to be said in a derogatory mother-like tone]
"If the Catholic church, or anyone else for that matter, is going to tell those girls they can't have an abortion they need to support them BEFORE they get pregnant, DURING the pregnancy, and AFTER they have the child. They need to help them, not take away their options without a replacement option."
Oh goodness gracious I totally agree with my mother and it's frightening. Dislike.
Anyways, that's what I think about abortion and respect for personal choices. Aight.
"Vrai ou Faux: Herve a raison de ne pas vouloir annoncer sa seropositivite a ses parents."
True or false: Herve had reason to not announce his positivity [for AIDS] to his parents.
After a long discussion to Tiffany about how I thought this question wasn't even relevant because "sa raison est sa raison. S'il est notre raison ca sera different" my response was:
"Il a toujours le droit de l'avouer a les personnes qu'il a choisi. C'est pas notre place pour le juger."
He always has the right to confess it to the people he has chosen. It's not our place to judge.
Now, the main idea behind this question was to talk about how he revealed having AIDS to the entire world through his book but not to his parents in person. However, I got totally off and only wanted to talk about how it's not for us to decide whether his reasons were valid because he had already done it and we don't need to discuss whether he had reasons because OBVIOUSLY HE DID in order to do it.
What does this have to do with abortion?
Absolutely everything.
I, personally, believe that everyone has the right to their own bodies. I am 100% pro-choice. I know that people are going to have abortions whether or not I like it; so I think that there should be safe, available, legal options.
I know that I would never undergo an abortion, but I also know that I will never put myself in that situation in the first place. I don't believe in pre-marital sex and I believe that God will give me a child if He has the desire to do so.
That being said, I don't have the authority to tell someone they can't do what they want with their bodies. No one is going to physically murder their baby, that's just ridiculous. People that have abortions have them for reasons or THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THEM.
Yes. I am yelling about this. Aren't you?
Here's the next little tidbit (it comes directly from my mother):
[to be said in a derogatory mother-like tone]
"If the Catholic church, or anyone else for that matter, is going to tell those girls they can't have an abortion they need to support them BEFORE they get pregnant, DURING the pregnancy, and AFTER they have the child. They need to help them, not take away their options without a replacement option."
Oh goodness gracious I totally agree with my mother and it's frightening. Dislike.
Anyways, that's what I think about abortion and respect for personal choices. Aight.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Just Take a Sec
Let's just take a sec to acknowledge how much I love presenting. Cuz it's soooooo much!!!
I would say there are very few things in this world that I like more than presenting about a topic with which I am both familiar and passionate. Or really about anything. In speech class last year we had to give an impromptu speech and it was one of my favorite things during the year. It didn't have to be factual, as long as it related to the topic. Mine was "organ donation". As with anything else, I had a very strong passion for a couple months about knife throwing. I love knife throwing. I think it is such an amazing art form/method of defense. I really really wanted to learn how to throw knives. I wanted to do it so much I wrote an angsty poem about how mad I was that my mother wouldn't let me buy a set. Sadly, that was on my old phone and I don't have easy access to it anymore to share it with the world. Heck I still want to learn how to throw knives! What does this have to do with organ donation? In truth, nothing. But in my speech I described the (totally fictional) history of organ donation.
You see, what happened was that back in the day people would have knife-throwing competitions. A whole bunch of people would gather together and they would all throw knives at each other. When people got cut with knives their organs tended to fall out. At that time, they didn't realize that organs are important, and so they would just try to fill the hole in the person with straw and mud. Obviously, that person wouldn't live very long (unless it was their appendix that fell out). One day, this guy's liver fell out, but there wasn't anything to patch the hole with except another guy's liver that was on the floor. So his friends took this other liver and shoved it inside the first guy. And that's the history of organ donation.
Now I know what you're thinking, "Sara, we really don't care." But in all truth and technicality, you really do care. The fact that you're reading these words means either you really want to hear me ramble on about stuff, or that you're super bored.
Today I got to present to the bio class about Mendelian genetics AND I got to present about my all-time favorite topic, addiction.
I really do love addiction. But if you guys really want I can go be passionate about something else. The stuff we talked about in Neuroscience today wasn't all that interesting, so that kind of sucks.
I have some things that I am really looking forward to discussing at the next Controversial Coffee Conversation. Here's a sneak preview:
Would you want to know how you contracted AIDS?
If you knew your child would have a genetic disorder, would you still choose to have biological children?--this is pre-conception btw
Should employers require exercising?
I'm really excited to hear people's opinions. I know I'm vain, but I know I know a lot of things, and I love it when I get to learn something new from someone who is just as passionate as me about something.
Have you ever realized how often I use the word really? Did you realize how agressively happy I was/am today? Does that bother you? It kind of bothers me. I don't want to be this excited all the time, but I just can't help it. I love presenting! I love learning new things! I love feeling good! I love being happy! I love having fun and anticipating having fun! I love this sweater! Goodness gracious I need to calm down. I should go to something relaxing.
OH but btw, a guy from my french class is presenting a paper on Saturday at 1:15 in WBC 116 and I will be there. I would like to have a lot of other people with me there to support him. I think it is so cool he gets to present his research just like I did today, except to very important people and in French. Please come with me!
I would say there are very few things in this world that I like more than presenting about a topic with which I am both familiar and passionate. Or really about anything. In speech class last year we had to give an impromptu speech and it was one of my favorite things during the year. It didn't have to be factual, as long as it related to the topic. Mine was "organ donation". As with anything else, I had a very strong passion for a couple months about knife throwing. I love knife throwing. I think it is such an amazing art form/method of defense. I really really wanted to learn how to throw knives. I wanted to do it so much I wrote an angsty poem about how mad I was that my mother wouldn't let me buy a set. Sadly, that was on my old phone and I don't have easy access to it anymore to share it with the world. Heck I still want to learn how to throw knives! What does this have to do with organ donation? In truth, nothing. But in my speech I described the (totally fictional) history of organ donation.
You see, what happened was that back in the day people would have knife-throwing competitions. A whole bunch of people would gather together and they would all throw knives at each other. When people got cut with knives their organs tended to fall out. At that time, they didn't realize that organs are important, and so they would just try to fill the hole in the person with straw and mud. Obviously, that person wouldn't live very long (unless it was their appendix that fell out). One day, this guy's liver fell out, but there wasn't anything to patch the hole with except another guy's liver that was on the floor. So his friends took this other liver and shoved it inside the first guy. And that's the history of organ donation.
Now I know what you're thinking, "Sara, we really don't care." But in all truth and technicality, you really do care. The fact that you're reading these words means either you really want to hear me ramble on about stuff, or that you're super bored.
Today I got to present to the bio class about Mendelian genetics AND I got to present about my all-time favorite topic, addiction.
I really do love addiction. But if you guys really want I can go be passionate about something else. The stuff we talked about in Neuroscience today wasn't all that interesting, so that kind of sucks.
I have some things that I am really looking forward to discussing at the next Controversial Coffee Conversation. Here's a sneak preview:
Would you want to know how you contracted AIDS?
If you knew your child would have a genetic disorder, would you still choose to have biological children?--this is pre-conception btw
Should employers require exercising?
I'm really excited to hear people's opinions. I know I'm vain, but I know I know a lot of things, and I love it when I get to learn something new from someone who is just as passionate as me about something.
Have you ever realized how often I use the word really? Did you realize how agressively happy I was/am today? Does that bother you? It kind of bothers me. I don't want to be this excited all the time, but I just can't help it. I love presenting! I love learning new things! I love feeling good! I love being happy! I love having fun and anticipating having fun! I love this sweater! Goodness gracious I need to calm down. I should go to something relaxing.
OH but btw, a guy from my french class is presenting a paper on Saturday at 1:15 in WBC 116 and I will be there. I would like to have a lot of other people with me there to support him. I think it is so cool he gets to present his research just like I did today, except to very important people and in French. Please come with me!
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