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."