Monday, April 20, 2009

Until another day.




"Parting is such sweet sorrow"
~Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 scene 2
As this semester draws to a close, I reminisce over the many posts we have written. Some have brought tears, others laughter. How can I sum up what I have learned or what I have spoken? I thought to wrap up all these thoughts in a blog full of short insights and quotes I couldn't touch on throughout the semester.
“No man, for any considerable time, can show one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally becoming bewildered as to which is true”
~Nathaniel Hawthorne
I've been re-learning the whole idea of being yourself. Yes, you want to impress people like any other human being. But, at what cost? Changing your whole identity is not the way to do it. When I moved to New York, right before my seventh grade year, I didn't fit in. I had amazing grades and worked hard in school. I was ridiculed by my classmates because of my want of high grades. As any young teenager does, you want to be accepted by your peers. So, I purposely tried to get not-so-great grades. I regretted it years later. I sacrificed a part of me, my grades, in order to have a different persona in front of my peers. Eventually, when you want to become the real you, you either don't remember how or you confuse those around you. They only know the 'you' that was put in front of them. The two cannot be reconciled. We lose so much of ourselves by trying to fit in.
“A very popular error- having the courage of one’s convictions: Rather it is a matter of having the courage for an attack upon one’s convictions.”
~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Wow. I think this is a powerful quote. It is so true! Being brave about your beliefs is a hard thing to be, but an attack on your beliefs? Here's a slightly silly example. Suppose you hate pepperoni pizza. You state your opinion and have enough courage to stand by it. The hard part could be when people start yelling at you for having such a preposterous view. Being courageous, is maintaining that view point. Some might fold in the opposition and mumble, "Well, it isn't really that bad. I don't hate it. You have a point. I'm an idiot."
I've thought about it a lot and know that sometimes I fail to have that courage. It can be so easy to mumble an answer that I don't mean, while hoping no one yells at me for actually stating my opinion.
"Don’t make someone your priority when you are only their option"
~Unknown
A friend of mine posted that quote online awhile ago and it made me think. Growing up, there were always the cool kids. They were the ones that were popular, all the kids wanted to be their friends, etc. Because everyone wanted to be their friends, they would do anything to be considered popular. My question is why? They obviously don't want to be your friend unless you change. As soon as someone else comes along, they'll leave you as quickly as they came to you.
In high school it is the same thing, only can be slightly more subtle. You have lots of friends with whom you are closer to some then to others. There are some you work harder on that friendship then others. Let's just say you really want to be friends with Betty. She is friends with you; you are friends with her. When you hang out, you have fun and trust each other. Now, what happens when you are in school where there are lots of people around. Obviously, you try to talk to Betty and in your mind, the friendship is the same. But to Betty, she has more or better people to talk to, so she ignores you. This is a good example of someone making you their option, when you are making them a priority.
"To be trusted is a better compliment then being loved"
~Unknown
Obviously it is good to be loved. But, loving someone is a common thing. Trusting people takes work. Think through all the people you 'love'. There are several degrees of love, and with those degrees, come more trust. I love my friends, but that doesn't automatically mean I will tell them everything. You won't tell just anyone about some horrible things that are going on. Why? You love them don't you? It is because you don't trust them as much as someone else.
I would rather be told I can be trusted then having a friend who says they love me, but won't tell me anything about their life. I think that love and trust go hand-in-hand. You cannot love to a certain depth without trust. I have friends that I know would do anything for me. If I was doing something wrong, I know they would point it out and get me back on track.
I've had people show that they've trusted me without having a real relationship with them. I was able to be trusted, even though we weren't close because I had proven through my life I wasn't a liar or a gossiper.
“Sometimes we deny being worthy of praise, hoping to generate an argument we would be pleased to lose.”
~Cullen Hightower
Okay. When reading this quote, either you or someone else pops into your head. We all know someone who loves to be loved. That person will have fake piety, while hoping they will continue to be gushed over. Or, you think of yourself and feel a little guilty about some 'humility' you have shown.
This draws an end to my blogging this semester. I will probably get back on from time to time to add more thoughts. I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts about different quotes, along with life experiences that have gone along with the quotes. Hopefully, they caused you to think through your actions and seriously evaluate why you do what you do. I've been challenged this semester and have been stretched past some of my personal comfort zones. But, that isn't a bad thing because that means I'm growing and changing. To my fellow classmate bloggers, I hope you've enjoyed my blog. To other readers, I hope to continue sharing my thoughts with you. For now, I must bid you farewell.

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