open letter (im late)

spent some time recently just reading over a few of my fellow classmates blogs and realized that i was missing one post. so here, it is the delayed parental advice from the perspective of an 18 year old guy. not to undermine the opinion of anyone based on age, but moreso the lack of experience in a particular field, as i have no children as of yet. but i guess my best advice to give, speaking from my experience as "the child" and  my attempts to entertain the perspectives of my parents here after... would be to tell/ advise them of whats best but to ultimately let them do what they want to (as long as the repercussions aren't all too great: death, long term imprisonment, assassination). its through these "learning the hard way" experiences that lessons a ingrained deeper and a respect is gained for the wisdom of a parent. There have been many instances of "brandon dont do..." or "brandon dont go..."and let me say that i remember most of the outcomes (unless resulting in a mild concussion) of me being rebellious. And yea, sure there are times where ive benefited from moving at my own speed and doing my own thing, even against my parents will, but for the most part... theyre still winning with that count. that whole independence and self judgment is a priceless thing to teach, because as loving as you may be as a parent- you wont be here forever.

- a good teacher tells you where to look, not what to see.

random, but i like it: Room 8
http://vimeo.com/64878402

The Plague by Albert Camus Blog Post #2

Submission- the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.

Despite the fact that I came up with the topic, i ironically, cannot really see where I wish to begin with this blog post. So bear with me as we go on a trip down my stream of consciousness.

The original question in regards to the topic was "is submission a form of defeat?" And i, for some unknown reason... Immediately replied "no". Why I was so sure of myself with this answer, or why I even choose it- remains unknown to even myself.

I guess, it was just me getting caught up in all the alternative thinking with existentialism and camus and what not. But I feel as if it were something deeper than that. See, over the course of the year, my opinions on religion, self image, behaviors,... Pretty much all that encompasses life- has changed. Due to the various books and discussions in both my philosophy and psychology classes. (Shout out to McCarthy and reist-Jones) but I think that happens in life regardless... The whole seeing and understanding more as life goes on. These classes just worked as catalysts if you will. And for which, I'm forever grateful.

Now back to the point. It's hard to explain to someone with no knowledge of the myth of Sisyphus (the whole overcoming something by exuding a continual effort despite the inevitable downfall waiting in the end, the trying against the odds because it is what you believe is right)... Or to someone who hast read some a camus, or v frankl, but this whole concept- no, inevitability of life throwing you some curves no longer intimidates me like it probably should. I mean, this year alone I've experienced some things that would have shook the old me, but I've come to accept that whole vulnerability aspect of life. Knowing that there are things that you cannot control. But I've also learned that the one thing... The thing more important than the control itself... Is perception. Something that only you, the individual can master. And this perception either allows you to overcome or succumb, to the impossible.

So yea, to answer directly... The only true "defeat" of a man... Is perceptual submission- the only thing one is in complete control of.

The Plague by Albert Camus Blog Post #1

why is it that people tend to ignore situations / signs of a foreboding situation that are deemed as uncomfortable or ominous? in other words.. why do people resort to denial in the face of opposition?

as with anything involving the human element, the assessment of the psychological reasoning behind the use of denial as a means of self defense, there can be numerous reasons as to why a person chooses to embrace this method of coping. but the most obvious and common place reasoning behind these instances can be broken down into a simple blanket statement.

- it is easy (in comparison to any other viable approach) and convenient

it is always easier to avoid, than to confront. it takes a lot for an individual to accept some perceived dire situations. in many instances, it is far easier to deny something than to accept it. for this acceptance, to many people, not only is it scary, but  is often seen as defeat. a giving up of sorts. not to preach, but my father has always said "a real man takes his stripes, but always continues to walk" conveying that, it is sometimes better to chalk a situation up for what it really is (for a common after effect of denial is the progression of further damage. as denial can only temporarily put something out of consciousness. not actually remove or solve a problem), learn, and keep moving. granted, some situations call for a sense of temporary relieval, a temporary trip away from what is reality to maintain a stable mental state, (whether it be music, sports, drugs, arts, going to the movies.. whatever suits you and your individual path) - all of which show a significant rise in participation during trying times and situations such as economic downturn- but one must remember that these are only temporary "trips" away. not necessarily solutions.  there is nothing wrong with embracing adversity, because honestly. rather you want it to or not, (like when you were little, that one aunt that would come over on holidays... the one that would immediately come in asking "where is little ___" the one that would then squeeze the life out of you, then proceed to kiss all over your face... leaving red lip stick all over your face... and then proceed to pinch those very same already pre-reddened and now, sore cheeks after you thought you were safe because all of the hugging and kissing was over) it will find you. why run? why fear? everything is balanced. just be ready. nothing wrong with seeing something, accepting it for what it is. as long as you continue to walk... even if it is against the tide. 

civic duties

they all annoy me. there are two different types of duties. 1. the ones that dont really have any impact on others (social norms)... and 2. the instances that immediately effect someone interacting with you.(ie favors).  the simple instances..,  the number 1s are all arguable (as they truly do not apply to the specific individual in most cases, but moreso the culture in which the individual is currently a part of. there is no consideration for outside variables.. or logic. it just is what it is)... many times these have become pointless as they have loss their significance as a society progresses (or simply didnt mean anything to begin with). and can be simply chalked up as a cultural norm. varying from country to country, region to region: going to church on sundays, "dressing up" for special occasions, taking off a hat while indoors, not showing the soles of your feet, avoiding the use of the left hand in social interactions, using certain silverware for certain tasks at the dinner table... etc. all the cute stuff.

then there are the favors.. the ones that actually matter. the number 2 duties... i dont like these either... but moreso by association as ill explain later. the: waiting patiently for an oblivious j-walker (Josh), holding doors for people (i dont have a problem with helping someone i care about, or a complete stranger for that matter, in fact i highly value this concept... what i dont value is the expectation.. the "duty") maybe im a rebel with no cause.. maybe im childish at times- though i cant help that, considering i was born that way- but all of the expectations and duties are a real put off for me (and maybe even cause me to ignore the good intentions behind the initial act at first (like rushing ahead to open a door for a lady)... its not the actual "requirement" that bothers me. not the act itself. but the attitude that is created because it is an expected duty. i think that when people expect certain things from another individual, they loose some value... the extra effort is no longer as appreciated. however miniscule the task at hand may be.

there is no reason not to help someone in need in a situation that cannot potentially harm you. there is no reason to take that act of kindness for granted.

rich dad poor dad

Is poverty a choice? before i answer that, id like to first ask- what is poverty? there can be many different applications of the word as many different non-tangible aspects of an individuals life can be deemed as impoverished (financially, spiritually, physically, mentally etc). but to avoid this all, and make an all incompencing definition as best as possible. i see poverty as the inability to choose.. the lack of options. the most prevalent view of poverty revolves around the financial  so let us focus on this. i have recently been reading a few books on financial stability and the acquisition of wealth. and after speaking with an advisor of mine in a out of school program- it became very clear to me that in the american society, money = options. and having options equal happiness. it was stressed to me not to view money itself as happiness, but moreso the abundance of options it provides. speaking to this man (a man from the gang riddled streets of chicagos southside who later became a multi-millionaire) who knew both the tales of limitations and abundant options caused me to more appreciate the relationship of happiness and options.

that being said, no poverty is not a choice... its a circumstance  what is a choice, is whether or not you choose to accept and dwell in these circumstances. or fight to overcome them. and i say fight for a reason.

Mal X

The very thing that made Mal X such an influential and effective leader during the civil rights movement are is also the very reason for his downfall. through reading the autobiography, the reader is able to achieve greater insight into who he was as a man... as a very stubborn man. his stubbornness is what made him so influential, so passionate, so susceptible.

i am not saying that his stubbornness is to be admired  nor looked down upon. it was simply his persona. and this persona, with no doubt, changed the outcome of the civil rights movement.

I am not saying this is right, wrong, effective of what have you; but Malcolm X was very driven by his own personal beliefs. So much so, I believe that it may have been beyond difficult for him to see things in ways other than his own- to walk in someone else's shoes. I am even willing to say that the man was stubborn. Now in most instances, I would completely disagree with this approach if two opposing parties are looking to settle a dispute. (A civilized dispute can always be settled through mediation.. but both parties MUST  be willing to at least entertain the viewpoint of that opposing individual. If not, then physical force may be required to force an opponent into submission or eliminate them completely). through his personal experiences, malcolm automatically saw the latter of the two approaches to be the more effective one. though he had many stumbling blocks in his life- whether personal setbacks, or later changes in ideology, he maintained a passion throughout his adult life once he had found a purpose.

MLK

as a society, a country, a world as a whole... i have no idea where exactly we will go. generations of the past have met, and arisen to the challenges of life time and time again. overcoming disease.. wars.. natural disasters.. etc. but as of late, i have realized that, specifically americans, are creating entirely new problems that we will someday have to face. crisises of health, temperament  financial stability, education, etc- all seem to be imminent. mlk dreamed of equality for all. and to this day, this has continued to be only a dream. this dream seems even more unlikely than in the days of the past.. i mean at least then, our problems were clear cut enough. racism, intolerance, illegitimate wars.. etc. but nowadays we have GMO's, cancer, atomic bombs... its like.. well damn.. and yea i know that was sort of broader that what mlk was trying to address directly with equality and all, but even that has fallen off. no one stood up to take his or malcolms place. that whole movement just stopped all together. it is still at a standstill half a century later. and to be honest, not many care anymore. this is what concerns me most. i mean, we can all see this shit (all the problems i mentioned earlier), but we ignore it like the government did the current debt crisis. as if it will just go away.. (were gonna have to repay those trillions of dollars, literally and figuratively) its all gonna come back someday.. thats just how things work.

- it has long fascinated me how human beings can be trained to accept anything (religion/politics), live anyway (ghettos/hoods), become anything (docotor/nazi).. ANYTHING. and live "life" without question.