Three things that stopped me in my tracks

Not much can stop me in my tracks; when something unexpected happens, or a crisis hits is when I tend to hit my stride and grow more efficient. Typically, what stops me in my tracks are realizations about myself, though with the blur of day to day life it can be difficult for me to recall them. Let us see what I remember.

1) The first thing I think about when I try to recall something that stopped me in my tracks is the first week of this semester, when I had to both rearrange my schedule, and plan my schedule for next year in order to take my math courses in the proper order. I found out that it is unavoidable for me to take an 8 AM class in order to complete my math major. This would be unfortunate for most people, but given my sleep disorder and my history of difficulties with early morning classes, it knocked me back a step. Most of the force came from the urgency that my decision had to be made by the end of the add/drop date; however the 8 AM shook me for another reason. It has taken me 5 semesters of classes that were somewhere between barely manageable and annoying, to reach this semester where I feel my classes actually fit well into a healthy schedule for me. Having to juggle a tough decision, possibly giving up something that finally worked well for me, and planning for my future forced me to pause and recollect myself.

2) Another thing which has stopped me in my tracks is when I choose to look at the back of my Zune HD. I had it engraved when I ordered it online with: “These are the Steps: Wish. Desire. Need. Achieve.” With the case on I often forget it is there, but occasionally I will remember, pull it out, and just look at it. I let my mind free and think of how that may apply to my life, and perhaps which step of the process I am currently in.

3) When else have I been stopped in my tracks? Well last year when I found out that my high school band director was retiring early it caused me to pause and contemplate. He very strongly believed in teaching more than just music, he tried very hard to teach every high school kid responsibility, respect, and so on. Hearing about his retirement caused me to think about that which I had learned from him, both directly and indirectly. During such a process, I call into question whether what I have learned is still helping me, is still useful. I question whether or not I should hold on to all of the beliefs instilled in me during my four years of high school band.

All three of these events are connected because they caused introspection. Something prompted me to rethink that which I normally assume to be fact, or at least assume to be relatively unchanging about myself. Whenever I take a step back, it is because I am questioning something I just then realized I had been taking for granted, and wish to examine whether my fleeting perception of said belief is accurate. This is true beyond even that which “stops me in my tracks.” Most events which are stressful, relieving, and especially challenging in my life center around my perception of myself, and whether or not I actually understand what is going on inside my own head.

This quote is about attitude. It's about taking what is undeniably the truth, and using your power as a human being to manage it correctly and achieve, or incorrectly and make excuses. It's also one of my new favorites.

State of the Union Address

The state of the union address certainly contained powerful words and ideas for every American citizen. President Obama spoke to our fears and our difficulties, and promised hope, reform, and a brighter future. I am a firm believer in hope, in change and in the ability of man to better himself and learn from his mistakes. I even felt inspired by Obama's words, and a sense of pride for the land which has provided for me that I haven't felt in a long time. His words touch on the most urgent topics in politics today, and offered solutions to their problems.

However, at the end of the day. They are simply words. Obama has made great promises about our future as a nation, but whether or not these promises can or will be fulfilled is something only the future can teach us. The overarching beliefs of his speech: the messages of responsibility and commitment, of rewarding hard work as well as reforming what has led to our mistakes and disasters certainly speak to the spirit of the American people. If President Obama truly has the passion and conviction for his cause that he demonstrated in the address, I have faith in a better America.

That being said, specific details about plans of reform, or tactics for achieving these goals were given. I do not know enough about politics or economics to determine whether these plans have a good chance at being successful or not, however the lack of detail calls into question whether these plans are thorough and well-designed. Perhaps the State of the Union Address is not the place for such details, but still, their absence makes the words of hope President Obama gave simply that: hope.

I said that I firmly believe in the power of man to better himself, and I do have faith that power can extend to the betterment of this nation. But today, right now, all I can do is hope that those in power can follow through on their promises and can truly understand the problems that plague us in order to implement the effective solutions. I have faith that Barack Obama is capable of rekindling the spirit of the American people and re-instilling the pride we should have in our nation, but I have no evidence to support this belief. So I leave to you readers the charge of forming your own opinions on this matter, as my voice cannot guide anyone through the twisted, muddied past of politics.

Other Blogs on the Web

Steve Pavlina

• This personal development blog by Steve Pavlina has been one of my favorites for a few years. I appreciate the analytic tone he uses, even on topics such as intuition and spirituality. In addition, his writing style is, at least at times, purposefully provocative. He prods your tender areas harshly in order to provoke a strong emotional reaction, which I assume is intended to start you thinking about his argument and your own pre-set beliefs. This thought-provoking attitude is what most appeals to me about this blog.

Got2BeGreen

• I found this blog while doing this assignment. I was linked to it from a time.com article. I chose to look at it because it represented itself as something I was interested in, and was highly rated. Although its content may be good (I have too little experience with the blog to know), I found the webpages to be cluttered seeming. The links at the top of the page are difficult to read, and a simple blog archive list is difficult to find.
• That being said, there is an easily accessible list of blog categories. The blog is certainly functional, however small things about the feel, such as the plethora of sharing and social networking widgets under each post, make it feel cluttered and hard to read.

Zen Habits

• Although this blog layout is a little odd,the very open, uncluttered look is likely intentional given the purpose of the blog. I do appreciate its usability, as there is both an easily identifiable "Archive" page as well as a "Start Here" page for recommended reading.

Lions for Lambs

The IMDB Synopsis for the movie Lions for Lambs is: "Three stories told simultaneous in ninety minutes of real time: a Republican Senator who's a presidential hopeful gives an hour-long interview to a skeptical television reporter, detailing a strategy for victory in Afghanistan; two special forces ambushed on an Afghani ridge await rescue as Taliban forces close in; a poli-sci professor at a California college invites a promising student to re-engage. Decisions press upon the reporter, the student, and the soldiers."(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0891527/)

This movie is an odd one, as it seems to be less concerned with telling a story as it is presenting the conflict between contrasting views on the war in Afghanistan. It is slightly outdated, as it was released in 2007, however the arguments between the characters seem to be just as applicable, if not more so, today than it did a few years ago.

The one element of this film that struck me was the lack of resolution at the end. With the journalist and the student in particular, no real decision is made. The options are presented to them, and their struggle is evident, but we are left viewing them still in a state of indecision. This lack of resolution is unsettling, and does not give the viewer the satisfied feeling of completion one comes to expect from most Hollywood blockbusters; however, as the aim of the movie appears to be an unsettling, thought-inspiring experience, it certainly seems to have accomplished its goal.

While I admit my knowledge of politics and world events is limited, I find it hard to believe anyone would be able to quickly form a strong pro or con opinion about the war after watching Lions for Lambs. The story of the soldiers seems, to me, to imply that the senator's view is flawed, however it is not clearly shown in the film. It seems as though all three scenarios are designed simply to show how the two opposing viewpoints conflict, without actually showing any attempt at resolution or a preference towards one view or the other.

I find it hard to form a reaction to this movie, other than it seems to have left me, unfulfilled. While it offered me an opportunity to see many questions about the war and conflicting arguments, my overall lack of knowledge prevents me from being able to make an informed decision on whether or not I agree with the War on Terror or not. That being said, the film is well done, and has certainly made me want to research more on the war and form a more solid opinion of my own.