Red runs off quickly like hot slag,
As if to burn the earth below.
The sharp colors try to cut the eye,
Despite a soft cloud overhead.
Is it barbaric to swing
To bruise the sky
Just a rock to curve
Around us once again.
It is a personable dog:
Always to return but sometimes
To bite your hand viciously
Red runs off quickly like hot slag
I found this semester to be much more enjoyable than I expected. While I have always enjoyed short fiction, I also found myself engrossed in Fences and Death of a Salesman. Also, the poetry presentation project has been very interesting so far, which is a lot considering that I normally despise poetry and anything related to it. If I had to pick one thing that I thought could have gone better, it was the blog posts. Towards the beginning of the semester, I often had trouble remembering to post. I suppose this just provides another incentive to become more organized. Finally, the variety of authors we read was refreshing after reading the same ones over and over.
On some days I like to walk
Upon the smooth-paved black asphalt
To the edge of civilization
There awaits the lush green wilds
Out of sight is the town so vile
There I find the magnificent Grove
Comfort found in its flowing branches
Around them draping moss clenches
Here, a scene of true serenity
Reluctant I am to leave
Fearful for my sacred reprieve
I know its inevitable fate
It will be torn asunder
Martyr to Man’s greatest blunder
It will only exist in my heart
My most vivid memory of blatant hypocrisy was at my initiation into the Order of the Arrow. The Order of the Arrow, or OA, is an honors society for boy scouts who are nominated by their peers as exemplary members of their troop. At the initiation, all candidates are required to take a vow of silence for the three day ceremony, known as the Ordeal. During this period, all candidates perform hard, manual labor from 6 am to 6 pm, eating a single hard boiled egg for breakfast and a ham and cheese sandwich for dinner.
While most of my fellow scouts were of the quality one would expect at such an event, a few were not. One in particular, whom I will call Bill, was a particularly obnoxious example of the latter. He did not abide by the vow of silence, constantly whining about having to work in the scorching July heat. Eventually, another candidate berated Bill for his actions. This only silenced Bill for the short period of time it took him to rat out the other candidate. I was infuriated, knowing that there was nothing I could do to put a stop to Bill’s irreverence for the traditional Ordeal without breaking the rules myself.
Fortunately for the Order, Bill was eventually kicked out of the brotherhood, albeit for a different reason. I couldn’t help but smirk a bit when I found it; it certainly seemed as if he had gotten what he deserved.
What do you dream of becoming in your lifetime? Asking this question of many people would prompt a variety of responses ranging from “loving mother” to “valiant soldier”, from “brilliant physicist” to “compassionate teacher”. In fact, I am always thrilled to hear of the interesting and incredible goals which people aim to accomplish in their lives. What is disappointing however, is their responses when asked “What are you doing to get there?”. The typical response is a half-hearted grumble about being busy with something else, or promises that they are going to change in some sudden and drastic way when they go to college or have a child or some other outlandish claim. Sometimes, this actually happens. There are some people who can do a sort of u-turn with their life, but they are generally exceptions. For the most part, their claims don’t pan out. The “brilliant physicist” who coasted through high school on raw talent fails to acquire work ethic in college and flunks out his first semester. The “loving mother”, who was a self-absorbed brat before giving birth, continues to do so after having a child.
Reconsider what your goals are. Analyze what you are doing to get there. Accept that in life, events often do not unfold in an ideal manner; these objectives will not complete themselves.
I believe that it is, and always will be, impossible for any human to definitively say “There is no such thing as an omniscient being; predestination cannot be real.” However, take it upon yourself to remove the question of whether or not it is as a factor in your life. Work diligently to make your goals reality, and you eventually succeed, whether due to fate or due to your own resolve.
In the context of Death of a Salesman, Charley is referring to the fact that Willy has centered his entire life around his career as a salesman. As a result, Willy has left various other aspects of his life undeveloped in comparison. I don’t believe that this reflects on any particular time period in American history. Rather, it reflects upon a lifestyle which has developed over time. Since the 1920’s, it has been a common practice for many Americans to make their career a priority over other parts of their lives. In this sense, Charley’s statement is more of a comment on what is perceived as the typical American lifestyle, rather than Willy’s in particular.
The American Dream is a constantly evolving entity. At one point it was the standard nuclear family, with a spouse and an average of 2.3 children. It was a job which you enjoyed and which also payed well. Over time, the ideals of the “general population” shifted, changing the “American Dream.
Today, I believe that the American Dream is virtually nonexistent. The idyllic scenario described above represents the dream of some people, but not all. Modern America is more individualized, embracing the idea that success means a variety of things to various groups of people.
While the American Dream was once relevant, this is no longer the case. It is simply a relic of a different age.
Several years ago, my family went on vacation to Puerto Rico. While there, we decided to try some traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. After asking several locals which restaurant was the best, we made our way to downtown San Juan. We soon arrived at the restaurant and were seated almost immediately. When I asked the waiter what was the most popular dish, he replied with “Mofongo” and proceeded to explain that it consists of fried plantains, which are mashed into a consistency similar mashed potatoes, broth, garlic and olive oil. Though initially it sounded very strange, I eventually opted to order the mofongo. Shortly after, when the food was brought to the table, I took my first bite and was immediately shocked. The mofongo was one of the most unique, and delicious, foods I had ever tasted.
To this day, that was one of the most memorable experiences of that vacation. It is an incredible feeling to know that other cultures, which seem so alien to us at first, are actually not so different from our own, if you are willing to embrace them. Going forward, never again will I call something “gross” without trying it first.
One of my favorite dishes is green bean casserole. Accordingly, I eat it as often as possible. There are three ingredients to green bean casserole: green beans (obviously), cream of mushroom and french fried onions. The greens beans used,which were Del Monte brand, were grown in Wisconsin, according to Del Monte’s website. The cream of mushroom is made from White Button mushrooms, which can be grown literally anywhere in the world. I honestly have no clue where the onions would be grown to make french fried onions, though it could be here in Georgia.
Looking at these ingredients, I know that at least one of the three in produced here in the US. But, the US producer is easily replaceable by a foreign one. None of these ingredients are difficult to produce, and could be outsourced easily, as with many food products.
