Is Poverty a Choice?

Poverty is not a choice. To live in poverty is to live under the minimum standards of living set out by the government. I don't think anyone would just choose to live in such a manner. Slipping into poverty can happen by making a series of bad choices or just one bad choice. Some times people end up in poverty by events that they couldn't even help. It can happen from getting an illness and the medical bills becoming too overwhelming. Times can get hard and people get laid off of work. It's also possible to born into poverty. So no, I don't think poverty is a choice. There are people who live miserably in poverty and others that live happily and try to work their way out of it. Ending up in poverty is not a choice, but choosing to stay there without trying to do better is.

In the book All Souls the MacDonald family lives in poverty, but they don't let that define them. They live the life they choose to with whatever they have. They didn't make the choice to live in poverty certain circumstances lead them there. they did however make the choice not to live in misery. So I say again that poverty is not a choice, but how you handle it is.

Malcolm X

A lot went on in the first half of this book. Malcolm X went from being born to being in jail and getting saved.  I found it crazy how Malcolm X used to be a hustler on the streets. I had no idea about Malcolm X's life before he was a ciivil rights activist, so to learn that he didn't have a direct path into the civil rights movement was interesting. He went to prison and got saved. That is very common now. Generally men who have been imprisoned turn to the Lord to help them. While locked up they tend read the bible. Malcolm X was just a regular guy who found a God to turn to in prison. I found it interesting that prison and all its horrors can actually lead to a reform, well at least it could back then. Malcolm X's imprisonment led to his wonderful legacy. Even his old hustler friend Sammy got his life together. Now it seems like prison breaks people and when they're released they have difficulties staying out of the system, forget about doing something to make a difference. Malcolm X used prison as an opportunity and made it work for him. He found something to work for, and that plus the lack of distractions he had in prison made him who he was.  If prisoners today could have aspirations and motivation I think the world would be different.

Direction the Class Needs

I really like the way our class is structured. I like the way we have discussions. I feel like i get so much insight from the other classmates. In previous classes it has been mostly lectures, but this stems away from that in an effort I guess to perceive things the way we choose without the bias of a teacher. I don't really like the group works that much because we rarely actually do them in a group with a mini discussion of the text like we should. Sometimes the questions just end up being homework after the fact.
The blogs I feel have diminished a little bit but sometimes I feel like they are interesting to write and read about, but others I don't enjoy that much. I also feel like we should go over the blogs in class more often. As for a direction the class needs I think we can just keep on the same path with more discussions that start from a more abstract question and less group work. I actually like the class as is, so I wouldn't want to change much.

King Still King?

With Martin Luther King's birthday just passing and the observation of it coming up I start to wonder if people still remember him. I don't mean remember who he was, but more of what he stood for. He is definitely more than just another day off of school he fought the good fight and I'm starting to worry that people don't even pay attention to it anymore. Segregation and racial inequality aren't as fresh in people's minds anymore because of the amount of progress that has been made. If a person doesn't necessarily feel directly related to the issue they don't really care. Yes, there is still inequality when it comes to race, but I feel that people let that slide. In letting that slide  I feel that those people are moving away from King. Like he is becoming a faint memory. There are definitely more inequality issues that have taken over and other people have stepped up to fight the current battle. With this happening I'm afraid that Martin Luther King Jr. is losing his prevalence in societies mind. He will always be a historical figure and will always be remember, but I don't think King is still King.

A Beautiful Introduction

I have a very eclectic taste in music and everyone lets me know. I listen to almost everything and I'm willing to try any genre. My favorite tv show is Grey's Anatomy and the music they play in the show is important to the producers. That show has opened my eyes to artists I otherwise wouldn't know anything about. One of my greatest findings was the group Snow Patrol. 

Snow Patrol's third studio album Eyes Open is fantastic. With songs like Chasing Cars, Open Your Eyes, Set Fire to the Third Bar, and Make This Go On Forever its no wonder this album was a success. The music is beautiful and the lead singer Gary Lightbody has a great voice. A lot of the songs have that build up to the climatic part of the song and then the ending that calms out for the most part. This album has the type of songs I just find myself humming or randomly singing. It's the type of music I try to get my friends to listen to. So you should listen and I hope you like

Alone

I don't really know how it feels to be completely alone. I say that I want to be alone, but I really mean is that I want to be alone for a little while. I wouldn't know what to do. I am an only child so I spend a lot of time by myself, but that doesn't necessarily mean alone. There have been times that I have been in a group and felt alone. I would just sit there and feel a detachment to what was going on around me. In those moment I don't care what the other people are doing and I am just consumed with my thoughts. I often do this on the train too. I just sit there and think about everything. The world around me almost stops and I have no idea how much time has passed. Sometimes that feeling of being alone is good, but other times I want to be a part of something larger.

I know this means something

I know that havign people who care about you means something. We enter this world alone and we exit alone. The time in between does not have to be spent alone. In fact it shouldn't be. Just imagine if you didn't have anyone who cared about you then all your thoughts and feelings and dreams and aspirations would be even less significant than they already are. There would be nobody for you run to if you need help and nobody to keep you on the right track. Having people in you life that actually care is very important. I don't know where I would be if I didn't have someone to tell my successses and failures to.