Easter 2013

Happy Easter to all my lovely readers! Today, I'd suggest doing what I'm doing (no, I'm not going to say spend time with your loved ones. That should be a given) and go to Mormon.org and watch their wonderful videos about the Saviour Jesus Christ, and the Atonement, which culminated in his crucifixion. The Atonement was the single greatest act in all of history, validating all of existence. It gives every single person the choice to return to our Heavenly Father and progress for all eternity. Without a doubt, that makes Easter a far more important holiday than it's occasionally treated as. Lets all do our best to remember the importance of the Atonement, and express a bit of gratitude towards our older brother, Christ Jesus.

Personal Journal 6

AN: First paragraph is in response to Pres. Kennedy's speech about the new frontier. The second is discussing the statement "it is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven."

I strongly believe that Pres. Kennedy was correct when he stated that our ignorance would grow as our knowledge did. Speaking from a purely intellectual stand point, the world is incredibly complex, regardless of your field. In math, there are ever increasingly complex formulas and equations to be learned, to continue progressing. The more you learn in math, the more complicated things become open to your understanding. This is a universal truth. In biology, the complexity of life is still being unraveled. The more we learn about the world around us, the more we realize how little we know. Even when we’ve determined we’ve completely exhausted all information regarding a thing, we discover something new that opens up completely new avenues to learn from. From a religious, ethical, and moral standpoint, we are always learning how to be better, provided we start down that road. In the gospel, we can always learn more about faith, or the Holy Ghost, or the nature of the atonement. Indeed, we can spend the rest of our lives solely devoted to one aspect of the gospel, and still only have scratched the surface. To believe we’ve learned all we can about something is both ignorant and vain.

I strongly disagree with the statement that it is better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. Personally, I’d do anything in my power to get to Heaven, and avoid Hell. However, I think that quote reveals an interesting mindset and personality. A person who believes in this values power over happiness. They’d rather be in charge than be happy, which can be extremely debilitating. A person like that has a core value of power. They care not about happiness, or the potential to move up from a lowly position. They understand only ruling over others.

Personal Journal 5

AN: The first paragraph is in response to the question, "in the Spoon River anthology, who do you most relate to?" The second paragraph is in response to a question of what I think would best symbolize me on my headstone. The third paragraph was answering what my ideal place would be like.

 

In the Spoon River anthology, I most relate to Lucinda Matlock. Not only do I hope to live the way she has, but I strive to keep the same attitude about life. I want to look back on my life and not regret loss. It takes life to love Life, after all… I want to love life, however many difficult things happen in my life. We only get one chance to have a specific experience, and I want every single one to count. I want to have a large family, regardless of the risk, or the stigmas. I want to be married for my entire life, and always be in love. And at the end, I want to be able to pass down something worthwhile to my children, both literal and figurative.

      I think the picture that would best represent me on my headstone would be a quill pen. Writing is an integral part of my life. I enjoy reading and writing, the latter more so than the former. My head is constantly filled with story ideas, character motivations, and odd words I’d like to use conversationally someday. Creatively using words, forming stories – those are things that I’d like to do for the rest of my life. Writing, whether it be through text messages, emails, reports, minutes for a meeting, friendly notes – whatever it is, it’s one of the largest ways for me to express myself to others. I view the quill pen as an elegant symbol of writing.

      My ideal place is with people who love me. In the future, that will definitely be with my wife and children. I certainly hope I’ll have that depth of feelings for the people I date, when I return from my mission and start dating seriously. I think the people in your surroundings are more important than the actual place – although that certainly has a huge effect. Aside from people, I’d want to be somewhere I knew where everything was. An orderly place, so that I can put up things whenever I want and not have to stress about finding them a place. I’d like a place with lots of shelves, for my cds and books. I’d want windows, to watch the weather, and to see the rain. I’d want a place that isn’t claustrophobically small, but isn’t very spacey.

Unicameralism in Nebraska

AN: This was written in 15 minutes, to fulfill an assignment about the unicameral legislature in Nebraska.
Clearly.
It's approximately two pages, for those who are curious.

Unicameralism in Nebraska

It is a wide known fact that Nebraska boasts a unicameral legislature. What is lesser known is that it was once a bicameral legislature. This system was abandoned in favor of only having one house for several reasons.

            The biggest reason for reform was discontent with the bicameral system. Bills were never completed because the two houses couldn’t agree on terms, and the joint-committees who worked on them met in secret, making them unaccountable for their actions. They were easily influenced by lobbyists as well, and had a great deal of power.

            George Norris, who was a New Deal Republican, campaigned heavily to abolish the bicameral system and implement a unicameral legislature. He argued that the bicameral system was outdated, inefficient, and unnecessary. Part of his argument was the fact that the bicameral system was based on the British Parliament, composed of the House of Commons, made up of elected representatives and the House of Lords, and composed of nobility appointed by the King. Norris argued that if in America there was only one class, then they shouldn’t have two different groups of people as the British did, doing the exact same thing.

            A common argument against the unicameral system was that with one house, it’d be easier to fall to corruption and that the bicameral system existed in part to implement checks and balances. Norris argued that the Supreme Court and the governor already acted as checks and balances. More importantly, he stated, the people would be a check and balance. The new house would have simple, easily understood procedures, and the press would be given greater access, making officials more accountable for their actions.

            Another argument against the unicameral system was that there would be hasty legislation with only one house. However, there were safeguards implemented to prevent this. Five days had to pass between a bill’s introduction and its passage, and all bills had to have a public hearing. Bills could also only include one subject.

            The unicameral house was implemented in 1937, with almost 300,000 votes for, opposed to nearly 200,000 votes against. Norris, the Depression, and other issues had a great effect on this vote. After the unicameral house was implemented, the legislative membership went from 133 to 43 (a 70% reduction). The number of committees was reduced from 61 to 18, and nearly twice as many bills were introduced in their first session, almost double the number that had been proposed in the last session of the bicameral legislature. The last bicameral session lasted 110 days, cost $202,600, and passed 192 bills. The first unicameral session lasted 98 days, cost $103,450, and passed 214 bills.

            Another benefit to the Nebraska system is non-partisanship. Party membership has no effect on election procedures, and elections are determined by popular vote, rather than the common Republican versus Democrat system.

            At least 21 other states have expressed interest in a unicameral system, but it is doubtful that they will implement such a change. After all, as Hugo Srb (the unicameral house’s first clerk) said, why would lawmakers want to legislate their own jobs out of existence?

Works Cited

Nebraska Legislature. “History of the Nebraska Unicameral.” 2013. Web. Mar 29 2013.

Personal Journal 4

 AN: I am responding to a story called "The Bet" that is commonly used in school work. In the second paragraph, I'm responding to a brief demonstration asking for what things - or whom - would you cross an I-beam, high in the sky, with adverse weather conditions? In the third paragraph, I continue to respond to the brilliant work "Man's Search For Meaning."

I’ve never really grasped what made the lawyer so awesome after he won the bet. To me, he appears to be egocentric, cynical, and downright dreary. I saw a man who’d given up on life, because it has variety, because it can’t be understood. The lawyer was always a pathetic figure to me. The banker who never changed inspires no feelings of victory or grandeur either. To me, neither man won the bet. It sucked the life out of both of them, in different ways, and left both empty shells of what they had been once before. Nobody won.

I would cross the I-beam for my family and friends. I’m not sure if I’d cross it for a complete stranger, but I hope that I’d have the strength to make a sacrifice for another person. If I had that strength, then truly would suffering in all forms have meaning. I want the strength to care for strangers. I’d also cross the I-beam for religion. If the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, told me to walk, I would. If it was a fundamental principle of the church, I would walk. If somebody that I vastly respected told me to walk, I would… as long as I knew that they loved me and wanted the best for me. I suppose some of my governing values then would be: family, friends, idealism, religion, and loyalty.

When Victor Frankl quotes Nietzsche saying that “he who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how” he’s speaking a universal truth. Frankl has also said that when suffering has a meaning, it’s much more bearable. Those two ideas are deeply intertwined. If we have a cause, then it’s easier to sacrifice. Just look at the long list of martyrs history has provided us. Each had a cause that they believed transcended their life. While it ended up not letting them live, it guided their lives, much how the ‘why’ enables us to bear with any ‘how.’ If you have a goal, then you’ll endure the nitty gritty required to reach it. If you love your wife, you’ll put up with things that you wouldn’t put up with from other people. If you have a why, you can do almost anything. It’s an intrinsic value that will shape our lives. “Why” is one of the most powerful words in the English language. It’s power as a question can unearth people’s motivations (and, more often than not, their deceit), and when used as Frankl means it, it is our motivation. Why indeed.

Lies, Injustice, and the Un-American Way: The Internment of Japanese-Americans During World War II

Lies, Injustice, and the Un-American Way: The Internment of Japanese-Americans During World War II

During a time of unrest, hundreds of thousands of people were unfairly imprisoned by their own country. They committed no wrong, but were instead victims of vicious racism. They were denied their most basic rights, and lost virtually everything after their imprisonment ended. Japanese-Americans during World War II were unfairly imprisoned in concentration camps. Despite this, Japanese-Americans persevered and retained their sense of identity as Americans. This unfair treatment began before they entered into the camps.

            Since their arrival in America, the Japanese had been discriminated against. As a whole, the U.S. was a very intolerant country during the 20^th Century. They were the victims of many anti-Asian campaigns, including the “Anti-Japanese Crusade” in 1920. One Albert Johnson, a former newspaper editor, now serving as a senator, was known for inciting anti-Japanese sentiments [Tacoma Daily Ledger]. He would end up serving on the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization [Doug Blair]. Millar Freeman, president of Seattle’s Anti-Japanese League, was brought in to find anti-Japanese witnesses for the Committee’s investigation [Committee on Immigration and Naturalization 230]. The Japanese were often blamed for stealing jobs away from Americans, as well. In the wake of the assault on Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese legislation was given a major stimulus.

One of those pieces of legislature was the Executive Order 9066. After it was passed, over 110,000 Japanese-Americans were forced to leave their homes. Two-thirds of them were American citizens, and over half of them were children. Stunningly, General DeWitt’s Final Report: Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast claimed that “[t]he very fact that no sabotage or espionage has taken place to date is disturbing and confirming indication that such action will take place.”  The Justice Department actually found the evacuation unnecessary and unconstitutional, but didn’t really care about the act, and helped finish it [Internment: Overview].

After Executive Order 9066 was passed, the forced evacuation of Japanese-Americans began. The victims were given as little as a 48 hour warning to prepare for incarceration. They were only allowed to take what they could carry. They were given identification tags for themselves and their few possessions. They had to try to dispose of all other possessions and property before being taken away. They were not allowed to bring pets. As a group, Japanese-American losses are estimated to be in the billions [The Camps Experience: Overview].

The internees would have no idea of those losses for quite some time however; as they were then kept in internment for an average of three years. The facilities they had been placed in were only temporary; often merely tar paper covered frames. Many of these barracks lacked plumbing and cooking facilities. Showers and bathrooms were shared, and unpartitioned. Whole families lived in rooms less than twenty feet by twenty feet [Legacies]. The camps were surrounded by military police, and enclosed in barbed wire. Many of these camps were out in the midst of deserts [Dissent During Crisis in America]. All in all, these places were less than hospitable.

These squalid camp conditions were far from the forefront of the minds of the internees, however. They tended to focus on the many rights that they had been denied, to their utmost surprise. They were denied the right to freedom of religion, being forced to practice Christianity while in the camps. They were denied the right to gather whenever they wanted, and to even speak the way they wanted. They lost freedom of press, receiving news that was heavily censored. They were never formally accused of a crime, never addressed an accuser, and never had any legal counsel. Those things alone are the basis for the loss of many, many rights. Ultimately, they were denied equal protection under the law.

The sheer number of rights that were denied led to a government initiation into the matter. This report brings many details to light, and sheds greater light on others. It mentions how the Supreme Court and Congress were both unaware of the unconstitutionality of the act, yet allowed it to pass and be enacted. They mention that there never was a single act of espionage, sabotage, or fifth column activity committed by the Japanese in America. A re-affirmation of the fact that no mass exclusion was made against those of German or Italian ethnicity is present as well. People who gave statements for the report called the internment ‘an inhuman mistake,’ ‘unnecessarily cruel,’ and ‘a personal injustice’ among many other things.

Incredibly, despite the prejudice and inhumanity they were treated with, the Japanese demonstrated incredibly endurance. Through hard work, and determination, they were able to bring a semblance of home to the camps. Personal Justice Denied mentions how the Japanese often brought America with them into the camps, since they considered themselves American. They learned to shoot marbles, and hared celebrity heroes with the rest of the country. At their best, ignoring the underlying emotional traumas and neuroses, they were like other American communities… but with barbed wires and armed guards. When the option came, there were many who chose to enlist in the military.

Enlistment was one way to leave. Another was to properly answer ‘loyalty’ questions on a quiz-like pamphlet given to the internees. These questions involved denouncing citizenship to either Japan or America, as well as their feelings towards the American government. They proved highly divisive. For the first generation Japanese immigrants, it’d make them stateless persons, as they were outlawed from becoming citizens of the U.S. There was a small group of Japanese who answered completely in the negative, resulting in them being placed in Tule Lake, a special camp. For the most part, the Japanese didn’t answer completely in the affirmative, nor did they answer “no, and no.” Those who did answer completely in the negative stated it was their only way to show their anger and feelings of betrayal towards a country that had stripped them of their rights, while claiming to be a land of liberty. Those who answered somewhere in the middle did so because they honestly could not claim full support of a country that had brutalized their rights as its inhabitants. In the end, the ‘no-no’s’ were a stunningly small minority (less than 6%) [Angus Macbeth].

            Those who did leave internment through enlisting with the military formed the 442^nd Infantry regiment. This regiment would be unequaled by any other group it’s size during WWII. Their tremendous bravery and determination would earn them more awards than any other infantry regiment has ever held, as well as the nickname ‘The Purple Heart Battalion,’ because of the heavy losses they sustained. The 442^nd was integral to the rescue of the “Lost Battalion.” For the rest of the war, they would be the most determined and successful fighters in whatever advance they were participating in, regardless of casualties [100^th Battalion, 422^nd Infantry].

            The 442^nd was able to accomplish amazing things. And yet, they weren’t the only Japanese who wanted to fight. There were many Japanese interned who wished to join the battle, but were excluded for one reason: they wished for their people to be given back their constitutional rights. These enlistees were denied.

            Despite intense prejudice, war-time hysteria, and blatant racism that resulted in a loss of virtually every single right they had been promised as Americans, the Japanese were determined to prove their loyalty. They humbly bore their crucifix of race. Decades later, their children and grand-children would begin a movement known as the “Redress Movement.” They wanted their loss of rights to be recognized. Through endurance, and many of the same traits that allowed their parents and grandparents to succeed in the internment camps, they were successful. Several Presidents acknowledged the mistake that had been made. Then-President George W. Bush stated, “In remembering, it is important to come to grips with the past. No nation can fully understand itself . . . if it does not look with clear eyes at all the glories and disgraces of the past. We in the United States acknowledge such an injustice in our history. The internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry was a great injustice, and it will never be repeated [Pearl Harbor Remembered].” Are we still looking back at our disgraces with clear eyes, or are we focusing only on our glories?

Works Cited

The Tacoma Daily Ledger.  July 2, 1920.  Pg 4. Print. 12 Feb. 2013

Doug Blair. “The 1920 Anti-Japanese Crusade and Congressional Hearings.” Washington Departments. Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project, 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.  http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/Japanese_restriction.htm

United States.  Congress.  House.  Committee on Immigration and Naturalization.  Percentage Plans for Restriction of Immigration, House of Representatives, Sixty-sixth Congress, first session.  Washington.  Govt. Print. Off., 1920: Pg 230. 12 Feb. 2013

“Internment: Overview.” National Asian American Telecommunications Association. Exploring the Japanese American Internment, 2002. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://caamedia.org/jainternment/ww2/index.html  

“The Camps Experience: Overview.” National Asian American Telecommunications Association. Exploring the Japanese American Internment, 2002. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://caamedia.org/jainternment/camps/index.html  

“Legacies.” Smithsonian Institution. Letters from the Japanese American Internment, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/japanese_internment/home_away.html

“Dissent During Crisis in America.” UCI Libraries. The War Within, 2008. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.lib.uci.edu/about/publications/exhibits/warwithin/index.php?page=section_6

“A Summary of Constitutional Rights Violated.” A Lesson in American History. The Japanese Experience, Curriculum and Resource Guide, 2009. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.jacl.org/edu/SummaryofConstitutionalRightsViolated.pdf

Angus Macbeth. “Personal Justice Denied.” Congress. Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, 1982. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/personal_justice_denied/chap3.htm

“100^th Battalion, 442^nd Infantry.” Global Security. Military, 2012. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/100-442in.htm

George W. Bush. “Pearl Harbor Remembered.” 8 December, 1991. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/08/us/pearl-harbor-remembered-excerpts-of-bush-speech-at-ceremony.html

Personal Journal 3

AN: The first paragraph is responding to a short story about a King, and a few of his subjects in a small town who discover a silver mine. It should be easily found by googling "The Silver Mine," and then possibly by adding a few key words. The rest of it is responding to Viktor Frankl, and "Man's Search for Meaning."

          I’ve chosen to respond to the prompt regarding the silver mine. I believe that the parson was correct in asserting the village was better off without the silver mine. It introduced vast amounts of money at one time, into what was formerly a rather simplistic society. If it had been tin or something worth vastly less, it probably wouldn’t have been a problem. It would’ve provided a reward for hard work, rather than the virtually free money a silver mine would provide. This encouraged both slothfulness and greed. Greed is the base of many sins, including anger, which was also introduced. The silver mine tore the people apart, and made them much worldlier than they had been before. The parson was correct in determining that their simple, poor lifestyle kept them humble and happy.

            I strongly support Frankl’s assertion that the last of human freedoms is the freedom to choose one’s attitude. Humanity has been gifted with agency – the ability to choose. We do not function by instinct, but by logic, by choice! Most of the time, we have basic choices – when to work, when to sleep, etc. However, Frankl had no choices. He had to do what he was forced to, or die. Despite this, he still retained his agency. He still had two sets of options: first, he could choose not to follow the commands given him and die, and, second, he could choose how he endured his ordeal. And while at times he could not keep up a positive disposition, who could blame him? Sometimes choices are extremely hard for us to make. Regardless, we must always strive to choose to make the best of things. Optimism and idealism are truly powerful – they enlighten and strengthen, as opposed to despair and hopelessness, which enslave and cripple. No matter how much we’ve had taken from us, how much we’ve endured, we can always choose to smile. We should always choose to be the happiest we can be.

Stirling Isn't Silver - It's Golden!

Last night, I attended a concert at The Granada, in Lawrence. The opening act was The Vibrant Sound, whom I was pleasantly surprised by. They were good, brought a good energy, and were very interesting.
Then, everybody started cheering when the main act stepped onto stage: Lindsey Stirling. Ill be posting an in depth experience post later, but I just wanted to say: I was there! It was amazing! She's amazing! I'm absolutely enamored with the way she approaches life.

Personal Journal 2

AN: The first poem referenced here is Robert Fulghum's All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. The discussion about trees is from in-course work. The third reference is Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, one of my all-time favorite works, and worthy of several blog posts on its own.

 

 

          "When I look at Robert Fulghum’s list, I notice that he’s forgotten two important rules:

Don’t be afraid when mom and dad drop you off. You’ll be okay.

The teacher is there to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

I’d add these rules to his list because I think they cover topics that Fulghum, understandably (he IS an adult…), overlooked. As a young adult, I feel the need for mentors much more keenly. Parents are also important. Besides being our first mentors, they understand us, and love us above all else. They want the best for us. However, it’s not the end of the world when we have to leave their side. At the end of the day, they’re still there for us. While we’re away, we can learn and grow in new and fascinating ways.

            "Regarding which tree I would compare myself with, and why, I would choose an Evergreen tree. They are relatively-low maintenance trees, and they’ll remain green as long as they’re taken care off. If cut off however, they’ll dry up and lose their needles – essentially dying. I’m the same way. As long as I have support – proper nutrients, so to speak, I’ll thrive throughout the year, regardless of weather. Without that outside support though, I can’t do it. I can’t make it on my own.

             "Finally, just because I’m completely uncertain as to what length requirements are, and having the bar high (or at least higher than this) in my previous journal, I though I’d also address Viktor Frankl’s statement about the relativity of suffering, which I wholeheartedly agree with. That fact about suffering actually makes me feel better about myself. I have a good life: loving parents, financial stability (well… we can put food on the table), a nice home, and faith in my religion… it seems unfair that I should ever have feelings of despair, or struggle with my ability to help others. I’m gifted with so much that others can only dream of. Even here, in America, I see stark contrasts to my situation, in my own town. But despite all this, I can be sad – and I should be sad, at times. I have a tendency to ignore the bad things in my own life, such as the death of extended family members, and only focus on the issues in others people’s lives, and how my ‘life,’ or, perhaps more accurately, the setting for my life, is in such a better position. Of course, that’s not healthy at all. I have my own emotions, both good and bad. My suffering is relative to my own experiences with it, not the pain of other’s. It’s unfair to make that comparison."

Extended Metaphor

AN: Another assignment for 12th Grade English. This time, I was to write an extended metaphor about my life. My choice is rather obvious. Once again, these are unrefined, personal works. Please enjoy!

My Life is a Larva within a Cocoon

            "I was a larva. For years after my birth, I fed on the leaves I grew up around, piece of beautiful flowers – as a matter of fact; I ate through things like Eric Carle’s “Very Hungry Caterpillar.”  I’m done gorging myself with new things though – I know what’s good to eat, and what’s poisonous now. I’m full to the brim, and I’ve progressed as far as I can go. So now I have to evolve, ascend.

            "I am a larva within a cocoon. A hard shell protects me from predators that would feast upon me. This shell does another thing my crunchy exoskeleton does not – it hides me from the world, and provides a home for me as I go through my final metamorphosis into something completely different from what I used to be. Don’t worry; I’ll still be myself! I’ll have the same thoughts, and many of the same worries and dreams. What will be different is my body, and what it can do. I'll be able to soar in the sky.

 

            "Nobody can tell me whether I’ll be a moth or a butterfly whilst I lie within my cocoon. Sure, they can place bets, but nobody can command me to be one or the other. Of course, we all know that I’m going to be a butterfly – graceful, colorful, confident and bright!"

Personal Journal 1

AN: Due to the nature of these assignments as "Personal Journals," they will be personal in their content, and fairly unprofessional in their writing and execution. I also suggest looking up the pieces mentioned in my journals, because they are intended to be responsive in nature. These Personal Journals are for my 12th Grade English class through BYU.

"I had a strong emotional response to “The Journey” by Mary Oliver. From the first line, I felt that I had discovered – through a school course, surprisingly enough – something that became very special to me, very quickly. I like how the day of realization doesn’t come abruptly, in a single blinding epiphany. Instead, it’s a realization that dawns on you in its unabridged splendor, as evidenced by the first two lines: “[o]ne day you finally knew what you had to do…”

"I’m also intrigued by the feelings of potential guilt that are present, when you follow your own voice. The poem says “you felt the old tug at your ankles” and “‘[m]end my life!’ each voice cried.” It’s very much possible that when you listen to yourself that there are feelings of guilt, of unfulfilled responsibilities, and of letting down those who are counting on you. The speaker in this poem demonstrates immense courage, because they’re clearly set in their habits. The word “old” in the phrase “old tug at your ankles” tells me that they’re used to succoring the various voices in the house, or even that the speaker has disembarked from this journey before, at the stirrings of guilt and remorse.

"In particular, I’ve always felt that obligation to “mend [other’s lives].” I feel a responsibility towards others around me, and that self-perceived obligation is apparent by the number of church duties I volunteer for, and even in the sillier aspects, like constantly bringing cookies to seminary when asked by others. I feel terrible when I don’t fulfill the responsibilities I take upon myself, so it amazes me that this person was able to follow their inner voice, regardless of past habits and perceived duties. This feat becomes even more inhuman when the details of the arduous journey are given to us: fierce wind, fallen Mother Nature, and the deep darkness that always accompanies the latest part of the night.

"I love the reward that’s given for this Odyssean task, and how it’s symbolized. The burning stars in the 25^th line remind me of a couple of different songs that have also affected me greatly. Interestingly, they’re acting in the same capacity both times. In “Diver” by Nico Touches the Walls, it describes a self-realizing journey like this one, complete with its own trials. And, in the final verse, the song says: “[a] lost swan was floating in the starry night sky…” While the interpretation of what that lost swan represents is definitely up for debate, I’ve always pictured it as a constellation. I viewed it as a symbol that the stars burn their brightest and most hopeful when they’re united. The second song, “Midnight Orchestra” by Aqua Timez is another life journey describer. While I could quote the whole song all day long, I’ll just quote the relevant line: “the stars sit in the sky. The stars unite and play their symphony…” I love music. And I love stars. The imagery of stars making music (I believe it’d sound like a music box melody) absolutely enthralls me. Once again, the stars serve as a cue that you’re on the right path… that things get better. That you can get better.

"The end of the poem presents a text book example of a strong ending. It leaves you thinking, hours after you’ve finished reading it and signed out of your school course. It’s a sad thing when one doesn’t recognize their own voice at first, but increasingly common in a world where everybody is always in our ear. At least the speaker does eventually recognize it, and bonds with it. The last phrase of the poem is controversial to me. Is your life really the only one you can save? Sometimes I think otherwise. It’s my dream to change the world – to make everybody a bit happier, a bit more in tune with the things that are important, with the meaningful things in life. But I can’t deny that people are free to make their own decisions. I can agree with Mary Oliver on one point; you cannot save anybody’s life until you’ve saved your own. A drowning man cannot swim another man to shore; neither can a starved man share his bread with another. After reading this poem, it’s reminded me of many of my own weaknesses and problems, both mental and physical. And because of this poem, I’ve remembered that I can’t help others until I’ve helped myself. If I want to save others, or, in keeping in line with this poem, cease to be one of the distracting voices, I have to improve. So I will."

Upcoming Pieces

Hello, readers

I'm excited to inform you that I have several pieces I'm going to be posting this week! They are:
- My research paper about the unconstitutional interment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War.
- An essay about the differences between "not sinking" and "soaring."
- A review of the first episode of "Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?"
- Plot details about one of my more recen efforts in story telling, "Arcana Inepta Fabula."

My muse is singing once again, so be ready for a revolution in my sullen blog!