An Inconvenient Truth: A Needed Response

First, let me begin with what many will see as the first "controversial" point in the argument I am about to make. The premise of the PSA is that the female in the video is intoxicated--let me be clear that in no way, shape or form do I condone underage drinking. That being said, the persons involved in the Steubenville alleged rape and rape trial had ages ranging from 15-18, all of which are under the legal age of 21.

Yet it's sad that that point must first be made before allowing the message to truly sink in--alcohol is not the problem. Society isn't the problem. The clear problem that is constantly being scapegoated is that in these young teenagers' minds, it is perfectly alright to take advantage of someone, and then claim that it was anything but their fault.
Do I condone underage drinking? No, absolutely not. But I would much rather condone underage drinking than things like battery, sexual assault and rape. Did the combination of the two illegalities create a dangerous and volatile situation for these minors? Yes, of course. But when I hear people saying that it was entirely the alcohol's fault, then they and their story begin to lose favor with me. To be quite honest, I don't care what you have or have not had in your system--I'm not one to judge, because we have laws establishing the guidelines for that.
In our society--speaking in a societal and non-legal sense--there are no "laws" teaching one another how to truly respect people. While this video will probably remain the most influential short video I've watched, it'll still leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I'll leave you with one, morally questioning and inconvenient question; why did this video have to be made in the first place?

Buying Into Maturity

http://evandolive.com/2013/03/22/a-letter-to-victorias-secret-from-a-father/

As a sixteen year old girl, I'm aware that my opinion matters greatly in the world of retail. I am the target audience for post-natal and pre-geriatric clothing, and my opinion matters greatly, even more so than my pocketbook at times. At the same time, I'm also aware that the media and the big box clothing stores are constantly trying to tell me what it is I should want--something that can't help but leave me feeling manipulated and lied to.

The other day, as I was thinking about novels and my short story, I couldn't help but think of the character complexity. I couldn't help but wonder if the characters I had "created" were facing the same pressures that I had faced, the ones synonymous to all teenagers. Were they too constantly struggling with the status quo, and whether or not they wanted to conform to it? Maybe these are the pressures that all teens face, and that's just implied in a story.

Fine, the media can take aim at my generation all they want, and then scold us in their next story for being the very product they created. Fine, no problem--do what you wanna do. But there is a certain line that is constantly getting pushed further back and then subsequently crossed and pushed even further back--and that is where I draw the line. If you want to market your products to 16 year olds, that's your choice. You know we're old enough to think a bit before our actions, but also young and naive enough to not care about the repercussions.

But as I stumbled accross this letter from a father of a 3 year old girl, I have decided to draw the line. Marketing push-up bras and lace thongs with words like "call me" or "wild thing" to junior high age children? I get it, "kids grow up fast", but let's be the guiding foce to get them there, not the kick in the pants that can end them up pregnant.

http://evandolive.com/2013/03/22/a-letter-to-victorias-secret-from-a-father/

Metacognition: Sh. . .Truth Is Scarier Than You Think

As I sat down to write what would be many very distinct first drafts of my short story, I had a general sense of what I wanted to write about. I had a setting very dear to my heart all mapped out, and knew exactly how I wanted to incorporate it. I had characters that--after 13 pages of a single rough draft--I had fallen in love with. Seemingly, everything was falling into place . . . until I realized one thing: the story I wanted to write wasn't the story that was going to be written.

In my earlier drafts, I had intended on making my main male character the "bad guy", and using this as the basis for pressure being put on not only my characters and my story, but on my reader as well. It was only after the most unusual "click" so to speak (at my synagogue during a prayer service of all places) that nearly brought me to tears, that I realized this wasn't how my story was supposed to be written. I wanted my characters to be put into a bad position for a good reason, yet as we all know too well, bad things rarely happen for any reason at all.

The shifts in me, and in my story as well, were adding two elements very near and dear to my life. I incorporated the suicide of a loved one, and the toll it takes on the ones they've left behind. Also finding a "feature roll" in my short story is a teen pregnancy that turns into a miscarriage--leaving all stunned and more saddened than they had originally imagined.

My short story was one that I didn't originally want to write. While incorporating aspects of your reality into the reality of characters in a story, it can bring a sense of closure and comfort, yet it's also another reminder of how scary these realities truly are. There are parts of my story that I find difficult to read, and that's exactly why I felt that I needed to write it. Regardless of if ten people read it or ten thousand people read it, this is a story aching to be read, and I'm thankful enough that I was the one blessed to write it.

An Inconvenient Truth: Too Afraid To Try

When reading Heart of Darkness, one can't help but feel frustrated. Frustrated with the main character for seeing such atrocities, and then playing the role of the victim because "no one understood what he was going through". Instead of changing the world and addressing the problem, he cowers away from it because he see's the truth--he sees that this is a problem that leaves him just a little too vulnerable.

In my short story, I've attempted to address what I feel are parasites to society, and provide a new take on them. It is because of my anger and discontent with the book that I felt the need to do something. There are problems in our everyday life that are simply too scary for us to look at, too scary for us to want to think about. . .too scary because they hit just a little too close to home.

In life (and in my short story), we are faced with problems each and everyday, yet we simply acknowledge the problem--if that--and then complain rather than actually attempt to change. While I don't believe that every and any problem can be solved, I do believe that if more tried, there would be more solutions and fewer problems.

I am just like the next person--I get scared and want to run away. I find myself face to face with problems that make me want to run and cry--and sometimes. . .I do. Yet it's because of this fear that I find myself running face first into the problem. If it's so scary for me, it must be just as scary for the next person standing next to me. I may not be able to solve the problem, or make it disappear, but I can at least bring attention and shed light on the monster in the closet.

So here I write again, thousands of problems running in and out of my mind, yet I find myself perplexed by this one inconvenient truth; many will point out the problem, yet there are few to point out solutions. Not  all solutions work, but how can we all be so sure if we have yet to try? At sixteen, I write this from the cliche teenage point of view--I want to change the world. I'm old enough to know the problem, yet young and naive enough to think I can still fix it.

Metacognition: Shaping The Story

"You all will be writing short stories."

Oh no. The dreaded words from my English teacher. As thousands of thoughts race through my mind, my debate frame of mind kicks in. Suddenly, I begin mincing words and trying to find deeper meaning in words that have nothing to do with the story I'll be writing itself--yet it's in this frame of mind that my story began fitting together.

Short. I am short. Barely above five foot. There are twelve inches in a foot, and I have a little over five feet making up my height. Hm. My character will be short! And if I am said, nameless, non-existent character, I would want someone who makes me feel tall, yet not too tall as my "sidekick" or supporting character.

Stories. Story? Every person has a story. I want to tell an untold story. But within one story, there are many more stories. I need to tell a story that needs to be told, one painstakingly real yet just far enough away to keep readers safe. 

You. Me. I will be writing a story. The story will not be writing itself, no matter how cliche-author-esque I want to get. I will be writing a story, and I will allow my characters to tell a story. They will change, they will grow, and I too will join them on a journey, simply walking along from the other side.

I will be writing a short story, and the reader will read a short story. Yet I will be telling a long tale, I will be teaching a lesson, and my reader will understand this. Life is short. I am short. But lessons? They live as long as we choose to keep them alive.

Best of Today: Outward Bound

As I walked through the halls today, I began pondering a question that pops into my mind from time to time: what would we all do if we knew everyone was watching us, and better yet, what would we dare attempt if we knew no one was looking?

Just as these questions were racing around the endless track that is my mind, someone bumped into me, accidentally knocking my Heart of Darkness book to the ground. It was that moment a few hours ago that has led me into what I believe to be my greatest insight about the book yet. Rarely in life do we do things without having the motivation to impress society, others or even ourselves. Maybe it's not the motivation for personal, private success that drives us, but rather the fear of public failure that lights a fire we can't help but get burned by.

The main character, Marlow, returns home from his ventures into the Congo only to be surprised that the world has not stopped turning. He had just been through such a life changing and extremely complex turn of events, yet now he returned to a simple life full of people he felt could not grasp the true nature and suffering that is life. He is a living witness to the atrocities that were happening during the colonization of Africa, and the horrors that the ivory trade inflicted onto the land, the people and the entire culture.

So the world doesn't stop spinning when something life-changing happens? Hmm. . . . Maybe the world doesn't have to stop rotating for us to spin around and look at the world a little differently. I can't help but think how different my life would be if I, and the rest of the world followed our heart instead of the textbook of rules that has yet to be written. I might not know where I'm going, or even how I'll get there--but from now on, I'll try not to worry. If the fire is going to catch me regardless, I might as well use it to fuel my heart instead of my insecurities. 

Blogging Around: Old Theme, New Perspective

One of my peers, Mr. Rich Kaplan, recently posted a new piece on his blog, The Kaplan Corner. His piece tells the tale of his exploration through organization. Mr. Kaplan admits to readers that organization is not something he always enjoys, yet realized it to be a useful tool when dealing with his beloved MacBook. My response to the beautifully written piece is as follows:

I absolutely adored this piece, Rich. I loved how you were able to nail down a universal theme (the struggle with organization) and yet make it personal at the same time. As a proud owner of a Macbook, I too can relate to the euphoria that is reached when one reduces and re-prioritizes the number of icons they have. What really impressed me about this piece was at how honest you were and how you were able to incorporate duality into this piece. You admitted you're not the most organized person, nor did you feel the need to be, yet you also felt a sense of relief upon organizing your laptop. This piece is quite well written, and I'm glad that you were able to not only get organized, but to share with the reader your plans to implement said organization in the future. Great job!

A little bit ago, a peer of mine (Mr. Alex Brandt) added a piece to his blog. This piece described the change in thinking that had occurred while writing his poem. Luckily for the reader, there were several changes in thinking that were clearly identified. My response to this lovely piece is as follows:

Alex, I think this piece is great! It's not always easy to identify changes in your thinking, or how you got from point A to point B, yet you've done so with ease. You've helped a reader understand the value of poetry that they (like you previously) may not have seen. I think it's really admirable that at 16, you're able to see the value in the end result as well as the process getting to said result. 
It's great to hear you talking about the power of words and their relation to politics. Maybe one day we'll get to see you implement this knowledge as an elected official! Great job, Alex!

From blog: Principal's Paradise