Auld Lang Syne

I started the beginning of this year with an idea I saw on Pinterest. It was pretty simple, you get a jar of some type, usually a mason jar, then you write favorite memories on slips of paper and keep them in the jar until well now. I was looking through the slips for inspiration for this blog, because I've been stuck on an idea for this the ENTIRE break. On the slips I looked for adjectives that were used to describe me, and I compiled a list

• Adorable (Thanks Emily Perdue)
• Fantastic Public Speaking skills (thank you GAB)
• I should go into politics (GAB again)
• Passionate
• Knowledgeable
• Intelligent
• Awesome
• A Junior (Special thanks to Hank Byerly for that)
• Sweet
• A hero (Melissa Huff is the sweetest)
• Intimidating (Surprising, right?)
• Funny
• Smiley
• A Leader
• Good with Kids
• Luke Spano's buddy (countless Grad parties running into the Spanos)

I honestly wont count the memories in the jar, as I read the slips of paper I reminisce on my year and how much I've grown since I was a freshman, sixth grader, first grader, and preschooler. As I was reading the article that this entry is supposed to be based on I found on the last page "We can come to understand that our feelings are not necessarily perceptions of the truth--they may be nothing more than the result of cultural conditioning." I was a quiet, super sensitive, shy, child who loved to believe in fairy tales and magic. I liked playing by myself, and working by myself, which is frowned upon in preschool. As society changes from every man for himself, to "Let's all work together constantly through social networking and the internet," the introverts, and the children and people who work best on their own are being pushed aside as outcasts. Perhaps as time goes on, and the prejudice against LGBTQ and African Americans fades away and becomes a social norm, whose to say that introverts won't be next? Introverts and extroverts are essentially groups that everyone belongs to regardless of religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation. The only thing that is really feared in the prejudice of these groups is the change and differences. I watched a TED Talk on the power of introverts by Susan Cain she explained how she went to camp one summer with a suitcase full of books. A girl in her cabin thought it was weird that she was reading, and then her counselor even said your at camp to *spell out some word that I now forget wrong.* These occurrences started happening throughout Susan's life and then she learned the mantra "Fake it 'til  you make it." Now that statement blew me out of the water because I realized that I was doing it. I was faking the above list of qualities until I made myself into that person. My sensitive nature is what fuels my passions, I am smiley because I like seeing others succeed and be confident with themselves and their abilities, which makes me a leader. I'm still shy, yet I can get in front of complete strangers and talk about something I am passionate about. I can make people I have never met laugh and be impressed with my so called "stardom" and my confidence. As Susan Cain did, I did to. I faked it until I made it where I wanted to go.
A movie came out around Thanksgiving called Frozen. It is yet another Disney princess movie, which I absolutely love. Elsa is a girl with a gift, that must be hidden away, yet once she gets away from the pressures of society she can let loose, and realize that her powers are a gift and not something to be feared. She Let it Go, and honestly that was truly the moment that I realized I was no longer little Sarah Graff, but instead I am Sarah Graff, Drum Major, Student Director, GAB Girl, and 18 year old girl. In some cultures this is frowned upon, yet in the one I live in, it is almost unheard of in the media. Women and girls everywhere are facing stigmas of not being good enough, or not pretty enough, or not thin enough, or heaven forbid, dumb enough. Girls who comfortable in their own skin are only being praised in Disney movies it seems. In twenty movie trailers on IMDB, three had women or girls either in the title, or on the first scene of the trailer. One only has the girl as the love interest who may or may not be evil, the other is Divergent, which I must read, and the last one "The Other Woman." Our society is focused on freedom of speech yet persecuting those who state their opinions, and lauding those who parade around semi-naked. Yet no one is really praising those girls like Malala who only reached the news after she was shot. The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, where we are too focused pointing out differences to see how alike we really are. We are all living in our own versions of absurd theater like in Waiting for Godot. Sometimes we think society and the media are totally crazy, yet we still never leave like Vladimir and Estragon.
Our society is a strange one with a very long future of change ahead.
And that is my reflection on the year and on myself. So Happy New Years and may 2014 be ever in your favor!

One True Love?

Does true love exist? Is there that one person who was actually made for you? Could you go crazy if you never actually meet them?
Heathcliff and Catherine are soul mates. However, by marrying other people, they both lose their minds, granted in different ways. Catherine becomes an even bigger airhead and she just kind of drops out of the picture when she has baby Cathy (I know she passes away), but Catherine lost the will to fight. Heathcliff, on the other hand, went crazy. He become obsessed with her, and her dead body (that was really creepy by the way). But what if they had married each other? I know the question "what if" is very dangerous to ask about anything, but what would have happened? Would Wuthering Heights have had a hero, if Heathcliff swooped in to save the day? Would I have enjoyed the book more? It is all up in the air.
I love little kids, so I want to get married and raise a family. However, I don't want to get divorced and separate my family, so I know I will never settle for anything less than spectacular. If I don't meet the right guy, then I have a plan. I'm not going to marry the first guy who says they are madly in love with me after two dates, like Catherine, but I am never going to lead anyone on just to get attention, like Heathcliff. I am going to become a single foster mom. I want to be that loving parent for children who lost their own. I am going to live life to the fullest, hoping that I meet my soul mate, but not letting that get in my way. I am not going to marry a random guy I met after twisting my ankle, but I am going to go out and meet him myself at some random point in time. Like in the Adjustment Bureau, there is someone out there, it is all just a matter of meeting that person at the right time.

Notebook showing multiple paths a person can take in the movie Adjustment Bureau.

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks

So I am a horrible person. I swore to myself that I had this done, it was saved, and it was posted before I went to sleep last night. But I didn't do the save or the post part.
Anyways, if you look at the books we've read this month, they are all about the different stereotypes of heroes. Starting with the triumphant Beowulf, who as we learned from Grendel, was not a great guy. He put himself into perilous situations, and succeeded. Oedipus saved his adopted city by outsmarting the the sphinx, and even though he brought a plague down upon the city. It is amazing seeing the differences.
This week is Ms. Smolinsky's last week. She is our long term substitute for Mrs. K, the band teacher. She is a hero. At first, I was hesitant because of all of the horrible long term subs I usually end up having. As Smolinsky came in, I was hesitant to like her or hate her. I decided to give her time because she is a new teacher. I began to realize, after a lot of time, that I love Ms. Smolinsky. She is my hero, she is no Beowulf, or Oedipus, she is just Ms. Smolinsky. She is my hero. She just puts so much time and effort into the band, and I have honestly never seen that before. We've only known each other for 10 weeks, and it took me 4 to understand that she is absolutely amazing. This is probably the biggest reason I forgot to turn this in on time, and so I feel two times as bad.
Anyways, I will never be able to listen to the Superman theme the same again. Every time I listen to it, I just think of Ms. S conducting it in front of the band. She has just taught me so much, and she has helped me become a much more confident, take charge type of person. I know I can conduct my song for band by myself, but knowing she is there just helps my confidence. All I can say is thank you to her, and there are no just no other words to accurately describe what I truly need to say to her.
Miss Smolinsky is my hero, and I can't imagine what this season would've been like without her. Miss Smolinsky is truly the beat teacher I have ever had. I can only say this because I have known her for only 10 weeks, and she has helped me grow so much. She is truly my hero.

I would like to apologize for this blog's lateness, but as you can probably tell by my writing, I am a mess. So please excuse any minor errors, as I am tearing up writing this.

The Most Important Rule

"The most important rule in winning-- keep thinking."
In The Power of One, your brain is your most important asset. Many books, and movies highlight the importance of using your brain to compromise and work together with others. In The Wizard of Oz, the scarecrow only wishes he had a brain (for some reason that song is stuck in my head).
As we look in the world today, specifically in the government of the United States, people are not thinking and working together. Why can't two groups of people work together to at least compromise on one issue? What is more important? Pushing back some healthcare signings or shutting down the entire governing body of the country? Much like in Fountainhead senate and house members are turning into Keatings and Tooheys and not being Peekays or Roarks (sorry about jumping books) But the members are all picking their sides depending on what party they are. There is no sense of comradery, only party butt-kissing. The members are not willing to come to consensus by using their brains. Hoppie shows Peekay that being able to think for yourself, is the most important ideal in the world. Instead of just assuming the larger guy always wins, the little guy also has a chance.
In today's society, if you are educated, you will go far. But what is really behind that, is free thinking. The ability to formulate your own ideals and morals based off of what you see not some elephants or donkeys.

I happen to like when people get along and at the same time, can formulate their own opinions. I do not enjoy the people who try to force their opinions on others as the "one and only idea." This may be one of the reasons that I enjoy Rand's writings. She promotes free thinking and going against society. I just want there to be a Purple Party ingovernment, not only because I like the color purple, but because it gives a middle ground for the people, like myself, who are in the middle. It would also tone down the bickerings of Congress, as they would be the mediators, so that these government shut downs wouldnt happen over just one thing. Like Hoppie says in the Power of One: "First with the head and then with the heart."