Wednesday, November 17, 2010
"My Way" Blog
After watching our most recent episode of This American Life, you should begin thinking about times when you did things your way, for right or wrong. Two particular segments of the "My Way" episode concern us--Joe (the teenager who doesn't believe in love) and the photographer. Do you have a set of beliefs and values that stand apart from everyone else? If so or if not, either way, what are those beliefs and values? Have they ever been challenged by the public, or any other audience? Think about how you do things your own way, and how those ways may affect those around you, whether you know it or not. OR, just write a reaction to all of the segments of the episode. Please respond in 10-15 sentences, while attempting to use ALL 6 phrases and the 2 clauses for full credit. Thank you!
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Hiking in Alaska, we came up to a river. Being ignorant, I thought we could just jump the river. Of course doing it my way I get wet and have to spend the rest of the day in cold wet cloths. After jumping the river I realize there is a narrow part of the river about a 1/4 of the mile down the river where everyone else crossed. I believe in karma and most people think karma is dumb. I believe if you do something bad, it will hit you in the back. Something as small as cutting the lunch line can trigger something as big as death. It might be weird but it is something I believe. I believe in love and think that Joe is immature. Once he grows up he will realize that he finds a special bond with someone just like the man who visits his wife 3 times a week. He has to just wait till his hormones start up. His mind will change then.
ReplyDelete"You better put tennis shoes on to ride your bike!" my dad shouted as I sped off on my bike. "I don't need them; I'll be fine wearing flip flops!" I shouted back. Little did I know, this stupid decision led me to a bloody flip flop and six stitches in my toe. Being stubborn is how I am, yet I still haven't learned that it can lead you to ignorance. My dad received a phone call that day, which I am sure he did not want to hear, and quickly drove me to the ER. Looking back now, I should have listened to my dad. I learned to never wear flip flops on a bike, but more importantly to look beyond being right for one second. I learned that there are more important things in life than having things your way because they cannot and will not always go your way, as hard as it is to believe. I think Joe is having a hard time believing in something he has not experienced. I can relate because I have never been in love, just like Joe. Hopefully, once he experiences love, he will believe in it and realize he is being ignorant and stubborn.
ReplyDeleteJoe, the weird stubborn boy, has the idea that love is stupid and has no point. I think that his whole story of his philosophy of love does not make sense. He cant judge something thing he has not experienced yet he is only 14 years old and is just going by his own idea. Running for office, the guy that always tells the truth had a point about telling having people in the government telling the truth all the time and how it would be nice. Having a group of people supporting him, when it came down to it they all said they wouldn’t vote for him even though they were working for him. I feel like he took telling the truth to telling too much of his personal life. He was way to honest and he had the worst background to be in the government. The next story was about the guy, who takes pictures. I think that the reason he feels bad is because he knew that he should have saved the girl that was drowning down in the water. No money or cool pictures should ever be put above a persons life, even though there was someone helping right away, he could have made the five second difference that could have saved her. I think that is why he has the guilt that he has with those set of pictures.
ReplyDeleteI believe in love, and all the quirky things it stands for. A person who has never experienced love has no right to claim that love is a waste of time. At fourteen years old, I had no idea what my beliefs were for most things, but I left the door open, instead of shutting down all ideals I thought were dumb. Joe, who is fourteen and inexperienced, has created his own philosophy, which I applaud, yet disagree with at the same time. My father tells my sister at dinner at least once a week, "Lauren, try the artichokes." She rarely tries the new, foreign food without a bribe, but sometimes when she does she loves the new food. Love is like new food, it needs to be experienced before judged as something important in a life or expelled from a life. You never know, love could turn out to be the greatest thing in the world, as I believe it is, and is shown as the old man visits his wife three times a week, because she was a part of him and though she has passed, will always be. Having experienced many things in my life, I can say that without experience, I could never truly give an opinion on a particular topic. If I tried to tell the truth for a week, the blatant truth, I do not know if my life would change or not. As the independent running for office always told the truth, he always told the truth along with more details. Is leaving out more details than a question asks for lying? This man is morally correct, however as other political figures have learned, winning office depends on telling people what they would like to hear, opposed to the truth. Along with questions of morality, the photographer in the film is someone I disagree with. The situation he was in was difficult and overwhelming, where a quick decision was necessary along with acting, neither of which he showed. It takes courage to attempt to save a life, and I believe this man was lacking more than courage. If character is who you are when no one is watching, what does this situation show if the photographers character? Life is God's greatest gift, and to watch a life disappear through a lense is complex to comprehend, what about the saying, "do unto others, as they do to you"?
ReplyDeleteA value for me is knowing what is best for you and who you truly are. I believe Joe, the young boy, is standing up for what he believes in and that people should not try to change his view because they are his own. Maybe for him their is no such thing as love physical or emotional like he said sex is barbaric. So for him there is no such thing as love. But just because he believes it and others think he is wrong doesn't mean that they should tell him so. This is kind of like what goes on between me and my Dad. At times he thinks he knows me better then I do. I love my Dad so much but sometimes he is just wrong. Not about life, but about what I want for myself. What I have learned is that no one can make the right choice for you besides you. Like right now with colleges, I know what colleges I will be the most happy at. I have tried the "what would my dad do or what path would my friend take". And multiple times it has made me unhappy wishing I had gone for the choice that i wanted. Something, like love, you have your own preference if you are straight or gay, commitments or free love, you know what is best for you. No one else should make an important decision for you thats why we have free choice.
ReplyDeleteI had a strong reaction to the boy who does not believe in love, to the man who ruined his life by taking a picture and to the man who is always honest. I believe the reason the first boy does not believe in love is because he is afraid, and I think he will continue to fear love as long as life does not change. Acting as if love does not exist takes away the chance of getting rejected, but once his friends change and stop wanting to hang out and play video games all of the time I think he will come around to the idea of love. My reaction to the photographer, the man who saw a woman die, was a lot of sympathy. He could have tried to save that woman, but he saw a lifeguard and he did not know that tide was going to come. He now has to relive that guilt and criticism everyday; when in reality if most people saw a lifeguard coming they would not go to help either. I believe honesty is good to have, but lying is sometimes necessary. When you lie, you can spare feelings. The man in the video came off as rude and also he shared way too much information.
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Going through everyday life, my values have become more apparent with each passing day. I feel that no matter what you do or when your doing it, it is your responsibility to do it to the best of your ability. I feel that hard work is required in every facet of life, and in order to succeed one must put forth their best effort at all times. Effort, an unteachable ability, can be done by each and every person, but must be done with intended good to maximize the success of the individual. I feel it is also important to take action in favor of the good of society. The photographer, a spectator, did not help the drowning lady when he had the opportunity to, which was not for the better of society.
ReplyDeleteliving my life, my values are no different than any other high schoolers in America. I, as a student here at EHS, have decided that being different in your beliefs is no good. In order to function in todays society you cannot try and be different because you will not be excepted. As a jew at a christian school i have realized that regardless of your background or religion we all feel the same way and have the same values. the boy who chose to not ever have sex is going through a faze and will one day realize and look back upon these ideas, thinking he was ignorant. i pity the kid for alienating himself from the norms or society and hope that he one day finds his way in the world.
ReplyDeleteI have never been called out in public over a belief, but I believe strongly in the death penalty. In the state of texas, the greatest state in the union, the death penalty is legal. however the state of new mexico, where id like to live, the death penalty is not supported. I think that the death penalty should be adopted because anyone who rapes a child, or kills someone, should have there life taken as well. I felt that the boy in the movie clip who didnt believe in love is either young, and doesn't know what he thinks yet, or he will turn out to be a serial killer. Puberty will most likely wreck this kid and he will look back at himself after one taste of the "forbidden fruit" and think wow i was an idiot. The man who visits his wife three days a week is actually probably i caring person who just likes his memories. Having a little tv in the casket room is a little excessive i must admit.
ReplyDeleteI believe in love. Its sad that someone so young thinks they have it all figured out, and they may. In most children, they will grow out of things like this. Joe, the immature child, will hopefully grow up one day and realize that was all a phase. Not talking to girls, or thinking you can like them, can tend to make things worse. Krissy, my little sister, used to always play with boy toys and want to play a boy when we played house. My mom always told Kaddy, my other sister, and i that it was just a phase. Hopefully Joe will grow out of this too. The photographer was immature as well, as he figured out he was taking pictures of the wrong things. Now he takes pictures of happier, life changing moments. I think you can grow out of anything if you really want too.
ReplyDeleteWhile i am in high school, I feel like from my experiences so far and other people's experiences has set a path for me. I believe we cannot coast through life, therefore we need to exert effort in order to succeed. If you look at people's lives, they put in the 100 percent effort to get that feeling of success. I do not define successful by means of money, but through their self-satisfaction. Working hard gives one a great feeling after the day is over, knowing you accomplished what you set out for. I, as an adult, will work as hard as possible, and when done I will feel good. I plan on being a hard worker because I could potentially be better off money wise and mentally. I think in the photographers sense he worked hard, but just made an irresponsible decision. Making that decision overshadowed his hard work, which is a shame. His photogragy good but just a bad day for him.
ReplyDeleteI believe that if you think any action you take is right then it probably is. When i was younger, not knowing that silverware did not belong in the microwave, i thought i was independent and very mature at that age. I don't remember anyone ever challenging me about my ways, maybe trying to help correct them, but i always believe in the positive in everything i approach. At Episcopal, best private school in Houston, everyone ha their own set of believes and they all differ from person to person. Like my little brother will never change, always eating dessert before dinner, he sees that is what is pleasurable to him and acts upon it. So i think i do what i think is right, earning respect form all my peers in whatever decision i choose to take.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff! Love it!
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