Bouncin' back!

Hello! It has been quite a long time since I have posted on here which is a shame but have no fear, I am bouncin' back (hence the title of this post). I have decided that as I finish up the final weeks of high school (ah) and head into the summer and eventually my first semester of college at George Washington University (double ah), I want to keep blog posts coming on a much more regular basis.
This is partially because I have more time for free writes/poetry and partially because I want to have the ability to look back on this time period with as much tangible memories as possible!
So I suppose this is the intro to the next series of posts that are soon to come, stay tuned:)
Now before I depart I leave you with a small free write that I wrote a few days ago for the fun of it... inspired by discussions about the concept of originality....

"I crave consistency in my life however i will never achieve that divine simplicity. 

But a craving, much like a wanting, pales in the comparison to what actually exists. Because while a craving is simple and outlined with a stringent structure and all of the coloring done inside the lines, the scramble of truth and possibility that exists is much more abstract. 

The colors of my life are scattered across the page of my existence and my path ahead has more forks in the road than a mere direction. However it is this mystery, this sense of anti-simplicity that drives me further. 

I crave consistency but I am quite the opposite. I am up I am down I am here and there and I am never the same as anything that ever was or will be. 

Because, frankly, nothing is ever the same. Nothing is ever consistent. Patterns find themselves within the lives that we live but each pattern is inherently skewed from the next. 

Without this change, this alteration, this inconsistency, humanity as we know it would become a simple path, void of surprises and color and delightful unpredictability. "

That is all for now!! ~tals

Think Piece: The Great Gatsby

The Past vs. The Present

“‘I wouldn’t ask too much of her,’ I ventured. ‘You can’t repeat the past.’

‘Can’t repeat the past?’ He cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’

He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking there in the shadow of his house…

‘I’m going to fix everything just they way it was before,’... ‘she’ll see’

He talked a lot about the past… I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps.”  (pg. 110)

After reading the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald I have sat down to select the quote that is most important. Coming away from this novel there were a multitude of quotes and thoughts that I could pull away, so, attempting to pull out one singular quote from a book of many important quotes felt as though I was trying to pick a single leaf of grass amongst a grass field. However, though it was no simple feat to extract this one quote, I do believe its importance is quite significant to the meaning and understanding of this book.

The context of the quote is simple: Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway are having a conversation after Gatsby has expressed a sign of upset and disappointment after reuniting with Daisy. Nick is living in a reality and recognizes that the past and the present are separate entities. In contrast, however, Gatsby seems to revel in the past. So much so that he has decided to overtly defy the concept of change all together.

Now, you might be asking, why have I selected this conversation as an important passage in the novel? Well, there are many reasons. For starters the quote provides insight to both the characters of Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway. Nick is depicted as a realist, a man who lives in a world purely based on logic and understanding. This shows his unwillingness to deviate from what is typically understood. Whereas Gatsby’s longing for the past display his beliefs of idealism. He reflects on his past relationship with Daisy as an ideal situation that must be recreated in order to be happy. In the quote Nick mentions that he believes Gatsby’s fascination with the past to be largely attributed to a desire to “recover some idea of himself”. Not only is the quote implying that Gatsby wishes to return his relationship with Daisy to how it was, but it also explains that Gatsby may be longing for the person or identity he manifested when that relationship existed. This indicates that he is unhappy with the person he presently exists as.

We can also see that the style of the conversation exemplifies the relationship that exists between Gatsby and Nick Carraway. You can clearly tell that Nick is aware that Gatsby’s hopes to return everything to “the way it was” is less than feasible. However, Nick seems to keep this understanding to himself.

As we know, or rather as we’ve been taught, with every important quote comes an important theme. And in my opinion the theme that this quote reflects is the idea that those who cannot accept the present may always be stuck in the disillusioned longing for the return to the past. With this memory of a perfect time comes the exploitation of imagination and rampant idolization of a “better” or more “golden” time. The quote seems to address the question of Why live in the present if the past was so perfect? in an evidently negative way: The past will always be the past and can never be fully replicated, even in defiance in expectations, Fitzgerald suggests. This theme is integral to the understanding of this quote as well as the entire novel in general. As readers we are being provided with a meaning much deeper than the surface. Simply put, this theme explains the reason for Gatsby’s adoration for the past and thus why he goes about his style of living the way he does.

This yearning for the recreation of the past is a theme that is seen in many modern day occurrences. It is very common for a novel or a movie to be based upon a past time period. In many of these cases, the plot reflects this same craving as Gatsby, whether it be as simple as revitalizing an old relationship or a drastic as up and leaving to live in a new time period.

For example, the movie Midnight In Paris exemplifies a main character who wishes he lived in Paris in the 1920s. This film goes on to create this very situation for him however by the end of the movie the main character comes to the realization that chasing the past is meaningless. He comes to this conclusion because he soon learns that no matter where you go to in the past, there will always be a much more desirable, and much more enchanting past beyond that present. We also see this nostalgic fascination in music as seen in the song “Yesterday” by the Beatles. The song reflects this longing for the past and the wish to leave the present through lyrics expressing “yesterday” as an easier time to live in.

Not only do we see these hopes for a much more “golden time” in literature and music, but it is also replicated in many societal norms. It is quite common for a parent or a grandparent to reflect on their childhood. In many cases, this reflection of the past may be characterized as “The Glory Days” or even “The Good Ol’ Days”. While this is merely a small example, it clearly expresses a loving memory or glorification of the past.

Now granted, I understand that the likelihood that I will be able to transport myself to the golden 1920s or Italy in the 1700s is quite slim, however that does not mean that I cannot connect to this idealization of the past. Like Jay Gatsby, I too have experienced dissipated memories that I wish I could bring back. However, like all dreamers I have come to understand that the past is referred to as the past because it has gone by with time and no longer exists. And though the idealist in me may hope to relive a wonderful experience, time is much more powerful than my young self and the realist in me understands that.

So why is it that people seem to be so enamored with the past? What about the past makes it so worthy of studying, writing about, talking about or even singing about?

Summer!

I am sorry that I have been away for so long! But I am back and ready to write. While I wasn't writing for the beginning of this summer, I was taking a course at Georgetown University for summer high school students. The institute that I was in was the Law Institute for one week.
The entire experience was amazing but I would like to reflect on one of the guest speakers that we got to meet during our week of lectures. This guest speaker was Shujaa Graham, a death row exoneree. I do not plan to write out his story because it cannot and will not do his speaking justice however I will discuss a few things that I learned throughout his speaking to our class that I plan to keep in mind for the rest of my educational career and life.
Shujaa was wrongfully framed for the killing of a prison guard due to the fact that he was seen as a leader in the Black Prison Movement who was known for standing up for social justice. Social justice is the concept that everyone deserves equal economic, social and political rights and opportunities. This is an idea that seemed so clear to me. In my life, not once have I been faced with a lack of social justice. However, as I learn more and more about our world, country and societies, I recognize this idea of social justice is lacking.
Shujaa explained to the class that he is not a victim but rather a survivor. I was moved by his passion and determination to move on and rather than seek revenge promoting a cycle of anger, Shujaa turned towards finding a way to stop this.
Most importantly, Shujaa explained that we as children are the future. Our choices and decisions will make up what our world is to be, thus it is our duty to promote a better world.
All of this was tremendously important for me to hear for many reasons. First of all, I live in a bubble  where hardship and a lack of true justice is rarely shown to me. Without the knowledge, I had no motive to help and make a difference on this idea specifically. Also, Shujaa proved to me that nothing in life is worth giving up. While this was a concept that I was seemingly aware of before I got to hear him speak, my eyes were opened a bit wider this time. Because instead of reading this idea from a book or hearing it from a teacher, I was hearing it from someone who could have easily looked at the world, seen what had happened to him, and given up. Given up on fighting for what was right. But he didn't, so I won't. I know in years to come, I will be faced with moments that will be easier to turn away from than to keep walking through. However, while walking away may seem easier, I know I must keep going.
I encourage anyone to read about Shujaa Graham's story online. I hope this post has helped you to make the most of your life.
Stay passionate. Stay determined. And keep smiling.
Sincerely,

Blogging By Talia

In Response to Sky Karasik's Letter:

Sky's letter to our class this week was about school. More specifically the lessons that we learn from school especially the lessons that are not mandatory or expected but rather the ways to shape me as a student and person. That is why our assignment is to write about 3 things we have learned this year that were not directly related to academics.

The first lesson that I have learned is organization. While this may seem to be a given when thinking about school, I believe that it was a concept that I truly did not stress in order to reach success in my school work. However, at the end of the first semester this school, my history teacher had reminded our class of the same thing he had stated since day one: organization of our notebooks. I had attempted to follow this organization but not as clearly as I hoped I did because I was then left with a lot more work to do than I would have had if I had just stayed organized. This lesson taught me to take this concept outside of school work as well. Evidently I learned that no matter what I was doing, organization kept the process smoother and easier even if what I had to deal with was chaotic.

The second lesson that I have received this year has been preparation. Many people follow different philosophies when approaching a big exam, event, project …etc. While some believe in waiting to the last minute and others believe in "winging it" I have discovered that the best (and seemingly only) way for me to do well, is with preparation. The teacher that specifically taught this concept to me this year was my english teacher. But more importantly I learned that not only is preparation key to succeed in class and outside class, but it is clearly displayed and pays off by the end product. Hard-work plays a large role in preparation as well as the idea of understanding the information that I am dealing with. My teacher has taught me that the best way to ensure success in the class is through this hard-work and preparation and for that I am very thankful.

The last lesson that I will mention in this letter is the idea that opportunity knocks but once. My MUN teacher made our class memorize a poem called Opportunity at the beginning of the school year filled with many messages about taking every chance you get. Over the course of this year I have learned to recognize the strength and importance that this concept holds in not only school, but in life. Many times we are faced with a choice between doing something because it is a good opportunity or not doing it because either you might fail, it takes too much effort or some other excuse. Unfortunately, the latter wins a lot. However, I have attempted to defy that statistic and work towards taking every opportunity that floats my way no matter how many obstacles I may have to climb over.

Thank you for reading this week's Blogging By Talia. I am very glad to reflect on some highlights of knowledge that I have learned this year as the school days are coming to a close. I hope to apply these three concepts (as well as many others not mentioned) to my school work but more importantly, my life. Because I am certain that the things that I have learned that may not pertain directly to school, still give me knowledge.

In Response to Emily Wedegaertner's Letter

Emily's letter is one of the most unique letters that we have had this year. She focussed on war and its effects, specifically the disorder known as PTSD. Within the letter she discussed a story of a woman by the name of Margret who suffered tremendously from this illness and was someone that a member in her family knew. After learning about Margret's story, we must ask ourselves some questions.

What would I do if I were...
If I were Margaret's parents at the period of time that this occurred I would have first been confused. Considering there wasn't much knowledge on the issue, it would have been hard for my to make a decision to help my child. However, in the end I believe I would choose to provide the best source of support for her, and unfortunately at their weak age, a home/institution for Margret would have been the best option.
If I were her doctor I believe that I would attempt to discover more about her. Considering that people were aware that she had changed entirely, I would have to wonder what happened and thus further investigate the issue at hand.
If I were Margret's sibling, I know I would not understand. However I believe that I would attempt to apply as much help for her to ensure her happiness and if not recovery, at least a situation to ensure that her life remained as humane as possible.
If I were Margret and I learned my parents decided to send me to an institution I believe there would be many different situations for my response. If I were truly suffering from an illness that could not be helped at home and or my state would be much better in an institution, I would be sad but thankful. Although I have not gone to war, nor have I encountered PTSD, I do believe that any human would chose to remain as human as possible.
And that brings me to the last question: would you rather live in an institution and have to be taken care of, or live at home and have to take care of yourself?
While originally I decided that I would of course choose to remain home and live my own life, I realized that for the many people suffer from such an intense form of PTSD that it takes away your ability to do what you would normally do at your home to support yourself. In that case I believe happiness takes precedent as well as care for myself. Although the term institution might seeming demeaning at first, I believe that my life would be better for it.

This letter has got me thinking about our world and the large consequences held on people that the world seems to sometimes overstep. Or even more, the decisions that simple humans such as Margret may be faced with that go unrecognized. I only hope that someday I can help those people in this world.

Sincerely,
Blogging By Talia

In Response to Charlie Johnson's Weekly Letter:

Hello,
Our prompt/assignment this week was asked us what we would do without the pressures from school or parental expectations. What would we do differently with our lives? And what would change in our goals for the future?

This is a challenging question because originally when I sat down to think about the answer I first thought well, I might relax more. I might take a breather sometime. But then I realized the more I thought about this, most of the pressure I put on myself does not necessarily stem from anything or anyone besides me.
I believe that the way I am, the person who I have become, naturally worries and puts pressure on my self to succeed.
Thus, I believe the only way to reduce this pressure would be to entirely change who I am. Because this pressure, while it has proven to be an obstacle, it has also proven to drive me to do what I love in this world. And for that, I don't believe I would be the same person if I detached something so important about myself.

But if I am to properly answer the question I believe the answer would be that my life would remain fairly similar. And even more, I believe my goals for the future would remain what they are because even without school and my parents, my passions would still drive me to what I love.

I recommend taking this prompt into consideration. It truly made me think about myself and the people around me. Whether you are someone who experiences drive from others, themselves or not at all, I believe it is well worth it!!
- Blogging by Talia

In Response to Calvin Dilibero's Weekly Letter

My assignment this week is to state 3 things I could be more honest about in my life. While there is most definitely more than 3, here are the top (in no particular order) that come to mind...

1. I am tremendously competitive with myself and others
This is something that has become more an more apparent to me as I am getting older. It also applies inside and outside of school. It can typically be anything from how fast I can walk home from school compared to the previous day all the way to how well I did on an exam compared to another person. I know I try to pretend that it is a way for me to get better, which it is, I am leaving out the aspect of having too much of something. If I am to be honest about this, I believe I could most definitely be less competitive and still achieve my life goals.

2. I am not good at taking advice from my parents
When it comes to major life lessons this does not apply because I have intently listened to that advice, however many times I underestimate the simple advice my parents can provide. Even more, I do not utilize it for my advantage. I know that while I may not always agree, perspective is beneficial to myself. It is very hard to think of a simple action like driving and accept correction from someone who isn't the world's driving coach. I have begun to become more coachable as I have recognized this truth that is to be revealed. So, to complete this honest statement, I know I could listen to more of my parents advice.

3. I pity my self in rough situations
I recognize that it is normal for someone to be upset about events that do not go their way, however wallowing in self-pity has taken m from being upset to be more upset. Wile many times I may tell myself I am not pitying my situation but rather solving it, I tend to cross the line without recognizing I am doing so.


So there you have it! Three things that I have not been truly honest about. I hope that you enjoyed this Blogging By Talia and that you can apply this activity to yourself.