A Terrible Start to 2011

The world was robbed of an amazing person last month, and the thought of it shakes me to the core.  

Throughout my 12 years in school, I have never seen a teacher with the bursting amount of character as my math teacher, Ms. Simona Radu.  I have no doubt that when students think of Calculus; the image of the sweet Romanian math teacher comes to mind.  Her compassion, genuineness, and energy were truly unmatched.  What math teacher practices meditation with the class before an exam?  Her classes were much more than examples on an overhead projector.  I will never forget the “pluses and minuses,” the discussions about fruits, and the de-stressing techniques.  A cosine curve example would spiral into Ms. Radu’s opinion on the new statues on Georgia Street, or her love for shopping at Richmond Centre.  Her classes were much more than a simple math lesson; they were almost like an exploration into life.  She would share her wisdom on how to make the most of every moment.  She believed that life indefinitely goes on, regardless of any setbacks along the way.  I could see how deep her philosophy was when she helped me through a difficult time.  I was about to drop out of the advanced math program at my school.  However, I remained in the program because she taught me to believe in myself, and not to stress myself out.  Her simple philosophy was what we all know, but fail to acknowledge and practice.  I guess that is why she would continuously emphasize her viewpoint on life.  Ms. Radu was also truly a kind and caring person.  She was always sympathetic towards her students, and would do her best to help in whatever way possible.  For example, she would often bring classical music to help us concentrate on our work.  

I only wish that Ms. Radu were alive right now, so she could see how people admired and respected her.  Her death was unexpected and shocking, to say the least.  She was at school just a few weeks before her death, and she seemed to be completely healthy.  I suppose it shows you how fragile life is, and how we can lose it when we least expect it.  Ms. Radu was truly an inspirational figure who left a lasting legacy on the school community.  It is not fair that such a wonderful lady had to go, and it doesn’t make sense either.  But, nothing ever really does.

Personal Goals

It's that time of the year again – time for fresh beginnings, and of course new goals.  However, the latter is what I hate the most.  The New Year is a time to think about what we wish to accomplish, and with that comes what we didn't accomplish the previous year.  I mean, what happened to my weekly exercise plan?  Building muscle definition?  Or even, finishing this course early?  I am disappointed in myself, to say the least.  I guess I decided to place my goals on a rocket ship destined for the outer edges of the universe, instead of confronting them like a man.  The only problem is no matter how far I send the rocket ship; it always finds a way to return the next year, forcing me to either deal with it or get rid of it.  It is really a tough dilemma with all the distractions – video games, friends, etc.  But, there must be some underlying force driving this sad situation.  I think a good word for it is procrastination.  This year I am going to test my limits by doing what no ordinary man has ever done before.  I am going to battle the evil forces of procrastination head on (seriously).  I will renew those goals from last year like the exercise (ugh), building muscle definition (I'm crying now), and finishing this course early (this one may still be possible).  But, I am going in with a fresh mindset that will officially destroy procrastination.  As you can tell, exercise is my weak point.  I am lazy, and I love making excuses to convince myself to set it aside (procrastination at work).  This will change.  My motivation will be the health benefits as well as the thought of a longer and happier life.  Now, I have had enough fun writing this post, and it's time for my jog.  But, I guess there is always next week, right?  It is pouring rain, and I haven't touched my Playstation in a while.  I guess my jog will have to wait.

Forgiveness

Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind” (BrainyQuote).  Gandhi was right in that most of us cannot find the strength to let go of other people’s wrongdoings.  But, it is difficult to understand why when logically it is best to move on, and not allow our anger to hold us back.  For most people, it is never easy to come to terms with a betrayal of any kind, whether it is financial, marital, etc.  Nonetheless, there are people like Nelson Mandela.  Mandela decided to join forces with his enemies after being imprisoned for over 25 years.  In an ideal world, I guess it makes sense to forgive people for their mistakes and move on.  Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world.  People do horrible things to each other in unimaginable ways, and someone is always scarred emotionally and/or physically.  Deciding whether or not to forgive depends on the situation.  Would you forgive your friend for breaking the iPod you leant him?  Most likely, yes because you have no choice.  But, could you ever forgive the drunk driver that killed your family in a car crash?  Well, I do not think many people would have the strength to forgive the driver.  Nonetheless, I think it is fair to say that holding grudges against others gets us nowhere.  Gandhi also said “Forgiveness is for the strong” (BrainyQuote).  Not forgiving only makes you angry, and makes the other party terribly upset.  Only the weak find satisfaction in tearing apart those at fault.  This strategy brings no conclusion to the problem at hand, and prevents us from moving along with our lives.  The strong, on the other hand, will accept that this anger is unnecessary and will take them nowhere.  A good example of this in our world today is Nelson Mandela’s rise to presidency in South Africa.  After being imprisoned for 25 years, President Mandela used forgiveness to move his country forward.  When he became President, many thought he was going to seek revenge against the people that put him in prison.  Surprisingly, Mandela invited his enemies to his inauguration ceremony as special guests.  He did this to show that he had moved on, and wanted them to join him in building a better South Africa.  I know people like Mandela are rare, and to be honest, I would not have invited my enemies to my inauguration ceremony.  However, I would not have sought revenge because it would jeopardize my country’s future.  I do my best to follow Mandela’s example, and I can tell you that it has made me a happier person.  Although at times difficult, I try to accept people’s apologies because it allows me to let go of my anger.  Expelling this anger makes us stronger – the type of stronger that Gandhi was talking about.

Works Cited

"Mohandas Gandhi Quotes." BrainyQuote. Web. 01 Apr. 2011

"Stephen King Quotes." ThinkExist. Web. 01 Apr. 2011.

To Lie or Tell the Truth?

Honesty is a virtue, but the degree to which we follow it is definitely a question.  Are even the most truthful people, really truthful?  The reality is that the truth can hurt, and we are constantly faced with the decision of whether we should hide it, reveal parts of it, or just spill it out.  Some cannot bear the guilt of telling a lie, whereas, others can easily hold it in.  In today's world, we see liars that range from the typical “Mommy I didn't eat any cookies” to shocking investment schemes.  From my experience, lying is immoral and wrong.  Even if I tried, I wouldn't be a good liar.  My facial expressions would give it all away.  The bottom line is that all liars will eventually be brought to justice.  I do not approve of lying, even when it is clearly to my benefit.  Stephen King once said, “The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool” (ThinkExist).  I cannot bear the thought of abusing someone else’s trust, even though there were times when I should have considered taking the dark path.  Nonetheless, in most cases my honesty is an asset and a personal strength.  Being honest to myself helps me address my weaknesses.  For example, if I do not do a good job on something, I will admit it.  In addition, being honest has allowed me to gain people’s trust.  

I am just going to set something straight as an honest person:  I cannot admit that I never lie.  There have been instances where I may have made fake excuses to get myself out of something I did not want to do.  But, the general idea from this post is that lying creates more problems than it solves.  If you lie to cover up a mistake, it just makes you more at fault.  Worst of all, if you get caught lying, the consequences are much harsher than if you simply tell the truth.  The idea is “I did it and I’m sorry” is much better than “He did it.”

Follow Trends or be Original?

Trends:  marketing scheme or criteria for establishing the social circle?  You turn on your television, and you hear “Use this iPod to be trendy.”  Flip through a magazine, and you see an advertisement telling you to wear Gap clothing to be cool.  Let’s face it, our society is filled with powerful rhetoric, like these advertisements.  Although their innocent goal is to display a product, they do it by destroying our confidence in our own originality.  Unfortunately, they make us feel as if we must give up our own styles to follow society’s trends.  For this reason, I hate trends.  They make our society one-dimensional, and suppress means of expression.  To make matters worse, it seems as if high school students have become officers of trend, by pressuring their peers into following them.  I suppose people have become so afraid of how others see them that are not ready to take risks.  For this reason, people do not like doing things that place them outside of the “norm.” 

Being able to keep up with trends has become a symbol of status and wealth, and we think that people will see us differently if we don’t go with the flow.  We need to realize that it is what is inside that makes a person who they are, not the make-up and clothing on the outside.  For example, we automatically think someone wearing an Armani suit must be rich. 

I always do what I want to do.  Sometimes what I want to do will overlap with the trend, and that does not bother me.  If I want to wear a t-shirt saying “GEEKS WILL RULE THE WORLD,” I will.  If I feel like wearing a polo shirt, I will.  I don’t care what the coolest kid in school thinks about my shirt because I know that it is our inner personality that shapes a person.  I look up to people who are different because it shows that they have the courage to be themselves.  I think they are the real trend-setters because they create a healthy trend – one that involves being you.