After reading 192 pages about weekly meetings between an old professor, Morrie Schwartz, and a troubled college grad, Mitch Albom, my heart was extremely warm and I was deeply moved. Everyone could benefit greatly from engaging in such an inspirational story about a man with a better outlook on life while sick, than most healthy people. Mitch gave a huge gift to the world by introducing this wonderful man to whomever picks up the novel, as a sick Schwartz uses his illness of ALS to teach the rest of us how to live.
On a rainy Sunday I picked up Tuesdays with Morrie and began my pursuit on this summer read. It wasn't but a few hours later when I realized I had already read the entire book within one sitting! That's the only way I like to read books, but I didn't know it was going to go by so quickly! My mind was easily captured by the unique relationship that Mitch and Morrie shared. The pair could talk about anything: life, death, all of the philosophical stuff most people are afraid of, and never be bored with one another or run out of pieces of knowledge to share. In my perspective, if someone can find that deep connection, it doesn't matter what happens, you do what you can to keep that going. Mitch had it in college, but after he graduated, he lost it. He got too caught up in life. This book is just another example of what our world has succumb to. Albom turned it all around however by tracking down his top-notch teacher to help him get back on track and feel happy once again.
Throughout Mitch's instrinsic piece, I noticed that he used a lot of symbols to aid the story along. One of the biggest symbols would be Morrie's pink hibiscus plant in his study. The hibiscus plant slowly wears away each day, just like Morrie's condition, ALS. Amyothrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a terminal illness that slowly deteriorates the nervous system day by day. It begins at the feet and works it way up, which takes away Morrie's favorite hobby first, dancing. Another common symbol would be Morrie's bed. Morrie recites multiple times that, "When you're in bed, you're dead". During their last Tuesday meeting, Mitch arrives at the house only to find Schwartz in bed instead of their usual meeting place of the study, foreshadowing Morrie's approaching death.
Through Schwartz's ailing, he helps Mitch seek happiness once again through discussions of the world, regrets, aging, forgiveness, and family to name a few. He is able to show Mitch that he lost sight of the true values in life. It doesn't have to be as complicated as everyone makes it, they just need to slow down and notice the beautiful gifts we have instead of meandering through life, missing the big picture. My favorite quote by Morrie is that, "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” In the culture we live in today, this could not be more true. It's an easy change, all we need to do is take time to make it.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a beautifully written treasure that knows just where to hit the heart. I'd recommend this book to anyone I know as it is quite the eye opener. Through the emotional twists and turns, it breaks down life's complexities and captures every inch of your being. Potentially a tear jerker for some, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is without a doubt a tribute that leaves you feeling truly enlightened.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Women vs. Men: The Ultimate Battle
The topic of women's rights always seems to capture my attention with an unwavering grasp from beginning to end. This 19 page piece did exactly that, but was overtly difficult to follow. Mary Wollstonecraft's style of writing was very unlike that of today's world, making it complicated to understand as well as concentrate on for a long period of time. I found myself reading a bit, stopping, reading some more, then stopping to glance at the clock, etc. Mary's affluent vocabulary however, as well as reasoning, made the reading exactly what it should be: powerful and thorough.
For as long as I can remember, there's been a struggle for women and their rights across the globe. In today's time, women in the United States are gaining more confidence to go out and do what they wish, speak what the feel, and act how they want. This is a freedom that should be enacted all over the world. I do feel that this being written in the late 1700s, the population has made giant strides all over and women receive much more equal treatment than before. Still however, it's common to hear of men wanting a certain power of us females. As stated in the article "...like a false ambition in men, from a love of power".
Shocking me was that some people in the 1700s held the opinion that "Woman was created for man". Growing up in today's society, females laugh at this now-obscene idea. No one wants ideas forced upon them or to be made to live a certain way. Women had to stay in the background, do what they were told, and get the stamp of approval from society. Let me just say, I would definitely not have fit in the type of setting. It says a lot for the women we hear about today that stood out against the expectations and went against the standards. Today we owe them nothing but respect, as they are why us women can be so free with who we are.
Throughout the paper, Mary made many intriguing points, but they were hard to interpret due to the older style of writing. It's not every day I read something from the late 1700s so it was a tad frustrating at first. She did a remarkable job with her rich vocabulary and ability to prove arguments, which is a large reason as to why I enjoyed the piece.
As for me, well, let's just say I'm no women's activist, but I do like my freedoms. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote a valuable piece that many can benefit from from reading. She is an admirable author and is greatly applauded for her effort in The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character Discussed.
For as long as I can remember, there's been a struggle for women and their rights across the globe. In today's time, women in the United States are gaining more confidence to go out and do what they wish, speak what the feel, and act how they want. This is a freedom that should be enacted all over the world. I do feel that this being written in the late 1700s, the population has made giant strides all over and women receive much more equal treatment than before. Still however, it's common to hear of men wanting a certain power of us females. As stated in the article "...like a false ambition in men, from a love of power".
Shocking me was that some people in the 1700s held the opinion that "Woman was created for man". Growing up in today's society, females laugh at this now-obscene idea. No one wants ideas forced upon them or to be made to live a certain way. Women had to stay in the background, do what they were told, and get the stamp of approval from society. Let me just say, I would definitely not have fit in the type of setting. It says a lot for the women we hear about today that stood out against the expectations and went against the standards. Today we owe them nothing but respect, as they are why us women can be so free with who we are.
Throughout the paper, Mary made many intriguing points, but they were hard to interpret due to the older style of writing. It's not every day I read something from the late 1700s so it was a tad frustrating at first. She did a remarkable job with her rich vocabulary and ability to prove arguments, which is a large reason as to why I enjoyed the piece.
As for me, well, let's just say I'm no women's activist, but I do like my freedoms. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote a valuable piece that many can benefit from from reading. She is an admirable author and is greatly applauded for her effort in The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character Discussed.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Technological Take Over
Finally someone has written a piece that criticizes the over-use of the internet! I have been waiting for someone to point out the problems this causes and here Nicholas Carr is! The beginning of the piece was a little rocky in my perspective, for I couldn't completely grasp what Carr was trying to say, but the rest of the article was truly eye-opening and quite easily relatable.
"My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I'd spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose". When I can sit down and read an entire book in one sitting, I always feel accomplished, and this usually only happens in the summer with a book that truly captures my interest. More common however, I find myself struggling to pay attention to long stories or articles. More often than not I'm on the internet browsing Facebook, checking my emails, looking at my club volleyball website for updates, using Pinterest, and so on. The tool that has made all of this Net use possible is my smart phone. Without that I strongly believe my internet use would be much, much less. These computers are being capable of having in the palm of our hands and that in itself is quite a threat.
Carr states within the article that the Net is used for convenience instead of someone thinking through an issue on their own. It's become a way to cheat the brain, just to save a little struggle or a little time. Is that honestly what our world has come to? The world used to be dominated by great, high-achieving minds without reliance on the Net and now all of that has ceased because of the easy use of the internet. He also goes on to say that people change with the way they read. I'm sure many can agree that reading has simply now just become skimming; really reading something would be a crazy request. Since the internet has evolved to be so popular across the world, I'm a firm believer that it is a big reason as to why there are so many cases of mental disorders today. We are relying on the Net so much that our brain erases the neural circuits we once heavily relied on but don't utilize any longer. Those circuits are hugely important and with the removal of them, the brain becomes way less dense, which is unhealthy.
I remember many years ago when we were little and our parents and teachers taught us how to read and how difficult it was at first. Nowadays, people have to learn not only how to read, but also how to interpret the internet and the biases as well as false information it presents. It's double the work and quite the hassle.
As a young group I think it important to try and rely less on the web. Our brains are the most important part of who we are and when we mess with it, we are actually messing with the rest of our body as the brain is the control center. Also as students that still have a ways left to go, if we're having problems concentrating now, it won't get any easier if we don't do something about it. This isn't just a problem we can will away. The technology we use will continue to take over and have a negative impact if we let it.
"My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I'd spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose". When I can sit down and read an entire book in one sitting, I always feel accomplished, and this usually only happens in the summer with a book that truly captures my interest. More common however, I find myself struggling to pay attention to long stories or articles. More often than not I'm on the internet browsing Facebook, checking my emails, looking at my club volleyball website for updates, using Pinterest, and so on. The tool that has made all of this Net use possible is my smart phone. Without that I strongly believe my internet use would be much, much less. These computers are being capable of having in the palm of our hands and that in itself is quite a threat.
Carr states within the article that the Net is used for convenience instead of someone thinking through an issue on their own. It's become a way to cheat the brain, just to save a little struggle or a little time. Is that honestly what our world has come to? The world used to be dominated by great, high-achieving minds without reliance on the Net and now all of that has ceased because of the easy use of the internet. He also goes on to say that people change with the way they read. I'm sure many can agree that reading has simply now just become skimming; really reading something would be a crazy request. Since the internet has evolved to be so popular across the world, I'm a firm believer that it is a big reason as to why there are so many cases of mental disorders today. We are relying on the Net so much that our brain erases the neural circuits we once heavily relied on but don't utilize any longer. Those circuits are hugely important and with the removal of them, the brain becomes way less dense, which is unhealthy.
I remember many years ago when we were little and our parents and teachers taught us how to read and how difficult it was at first. Nowadays, people have to learn not only how to read, but also how to interpret the internet and the biases as well as false information it presents. It's double the work and quite the hassle.
As a young group I think it important to try and rely less on the web. Our brains are the most important part of who we are and when we mess with it, we are actually messing with the rest of our body as the brain is the control center. Also as students that still have a ways left to go, if we're having problems concentrating now, it won't get any easier if we don't do something about it. This isn't just a problem we can will away. The technology we use will continue to take over and have a negative impact if we let it.
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