Did you hold the door open for anyone today?
Did you let anyone step in front of you on your way into school, the cafeteria, a classroom? Lend anyone a pencil, pick up a fallen book or paper?
For most of you, the answer is probably yes, you did in fact do one or more of those things. All of you are well-mannered, considerate and generally just a nice bunch of kids. So, for today, or the next 4 days as it were, let's take that one step further. This will require a bit of imagination, introspection and innovation, so again, don't sit down to this blog on Wednesday night at 11pm and think you can do a respectable job on it.
Ok, so imagine, one morning, after an encounter with a kindly old wizard--who bears a striking resemblance to Albus Dumbledore--visits you, you awaken with the power to give one person anything in the entire universe. What would it be and why?
Now, that question, while startling limited in word content, is not as simple or straighforward as it seems.
I am not actually asking you to go ask someone what wish they would like to have granted (which seems like the obvious assumption given that I started off talking about wizards and magic),I am asking you what YOU want to give someone if you had the power to give them anything, and I am asking you to explain that choice.
Additionally, because there is always an "additionally," I would also like to know what advice you would give this person after you have bestowed this "gift" upon him or her.
Think about this question before you choose a stock answer like, "I would give my mom a million dollars." That may be the first choice that jumps into your head, our economy being what it is and such, but try to think a bit more deeply about the person you are gifting as well as yourself and your motivations.
Strolling through any tourist shop, there's always the classical mugs engraved to mom, dad, grandma and gramps. The little cliché quotes that embroider the mugs contain the catholic emotions that arise when you see these individuals: love, gratefulness, and happiness. But, the mugs for grandparents always stand out. These little sayings are as nice as the ones about parents but often sweeter, as if they've been dumped in a pink sugary fairy dust or something. These sayings are so overdone with cuteness and sparkle that I'd think I'd get sick of the overly loving grandparents these mugs talk about. But, for some reason, these mugs are ways able to encompass the aura of my grandmother. She's someone that I can tell more things to than my own mother because I know her first priority won't be to discipline me, but to rather hear me out and put my emotions into consideration, before she disciplines me.
ReplyDeleteHer patience is pristine. It has to be after raising four rowdy boys. The fears that ran through my grandmother, growing up in North Carolina during the 1940s and 50s probably prove why she's such a strong woman. Her grandparents and even parents were both part of interracial relationships. Both illegal in that time. And I can only imagine what she was exposed to in those times. But nevertheless, my grandmother has always been the typical amazing grandparent. There's always warm cookies when you come to visit, she gives the best presents, she's spoils you to the point where you kind of feel bad taking things from her. The loving kisses and hugs and the constant reminder that when mom and dad say no, grandma will always say yes.
And so, upon reading this blog, I've decided to pick my grandmother as the most deserving of a gift. And the gift would be one last day with my grandfather, her husband, best friend and the love of her life.
Love isn't usually something I'd drop everything for. It's a feeling that everyone wishes to feel one day. Girls obsess over falling in love and finding Mr. Right. That feeling, has never really appealed to me, and I’ve never really been a sucker for love stories. And yet, something in me sparks when I think about my grandmother and grandfather.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather died a little bit over 11 years ago. I knew him for probably less than a year. His death was rather tragic, a brain aneurysm, and he was at the relatively young age of 61. It was my first encounter with death, but being so young I don't really remember much. He'd been dead for about a week too, before my mother broke the news. I'll always remember the tears that gushed from my eyes, only sparked on from seeing my older sister cry. I never could not cry when I saw my older sister crying, it's like a switch turned on. She cried, I cried, even when I didn't know what was going on. But after his death, something in my grandmother changed. She was still the same, but her smile seemed forced, and her age really seemed to show. The elaborate cakes and desserts she used to make were reduced to only holidays. The jolly aura she that used to surround her, seem stifled.
Back then, I didn't understand what my grandmother was feeling. But now I do. She was completely heartbroken. Sure, she tried not to show it, but deep down inside she had lost a part of her. My grandfather and she had been together since she was a junior in high school. They'd been together for over 40 years, raised children, sent them to college, and had grand children. They were not only in love, but they were inseparable.
Now, I know there’s a whole list of rules that completely forbids bringing back the dead. Gasps and squeals would rain down from the heavens, as everyone would object to this gift. However, ‘till this day, I see the way my grandmother’s face lights up when she talks about him. It's been over 10 years and I still get chills from the stories she tells about him, the sparkle in her eyes. It's like she radiates happiness. It's like he's still here when she talks about him. And so, my gift to her would be one last day with her husband. One last day to tell him everything she never got a chance to say. For them to do their favorite things together. For them to just live and be happy and in love.
ReplyDeleteThis gift would come with great warning. Not to pity the dead, or her, but to remember the great life they lived together, the love they shared and the great ideals they instilled in their family.
In the end, the reason I probably picked this gift, is because I like seeing people happy. There are very few things and people that make me happy, and so, I try to live my life making other people happy. Because in those little moments when I see people’s faces light up, I can truly see that maybe life isn’t as bad as I make it out to be.
I often find myself wishing that I could give people 'things' that would be nearly impossible, if possible at all. On the outside I can seem blunt and unconcerned. This is only partially true. I typically don't care about anyone's feelings but if I do you mean a hell of a lot to me (just to put this into perspective I don't really care about my parent's or sister's feelings.) Well anyways, as I may not care about you emotionally I find myself deeply distrought over your well being. I have a passion of making lives easier for people. This includes family,
ReplyDeletefriends and complete strangers. If anyone in my family or close circle of friends need anything in the world, I tend to be the first person they turn to. My sister and I have been talking a lot lately about joining the Peace Corps together. I don't know why but there is something about helping people, something about
volunteering that makes me... happy; making others lives easier and worthwhile makes me happy.
For those of you who don't know, you all probably do, I have a crazy tight family. We eat dinner every night at my grandparent's house together as a family. Not a day will go by that I don't see or speak to these people that are so important to my life. A few years ago my grandfather had a stroke causing
him to loose his strength on his left side. Because of this, he can't walk very well. Most of the time my other family members, much against my father and my wishes, pick up my grandfather and move him manually. It saves time. What they don't realize, or don't want to realize, is that doing this hurts him mentally. When certin pepole are concerned with how high up in his chair he is, I am concerned with how confortable he is. Let me make this VERY CLEAR: I am not trying to glorify myself. I can't
stand when peole try to make themselves look or sound better. Fuck them. I do it because I love my pop pop to death. I would be lost without him and he has told me many times that he would
be lost without me.
So the question of the week is if we could give a single person in the world anything who and what would it be. I would give my grandfather the ability to walk. This isn't because putting him in bed every night of the week or thickening his juice is a pain in the ass. It's not. If it were, I wouldn't do it. I would give my grandfather the power to walk because he deserves it. He has gone through more shit in his life than anyone i know. A 66
year old husband and father of five doesn't deserve to be locked in a chair by his own father. Helping my grandfather is a passion of mine described above; it equally makes his life easier. Being able to walk would make his life even easier. I would give up my life if it meant he could walk again. I can't express the feeling when I am the last person to say good night to him and he starts crying talking about how much he
loves me and how he feels so useless because he can't walk. No one, especially not him, deserves this. I know for a fact that if Pops could walk his life would be great. The world would be better for more then one person because of the lives he would touch.
Maybe this doesn't have to be my grandfather though. Naturally he was the first person who came to mind. If just one person would change the world for the better because of the ability to walk, I would give it to them. This might be cheating, but the ability to walk is a marvelous thing. Above many things walking
should not be taken for granted...
When this wizard-like character would come to me, i'd tell him to take off his shoes, ask him if he'd like a drink (Assuming he’s British, I’d offer tea), and urge him to make himself comfortable, because this decision would take a long time to ponder.
ReplyDeleteThe first question I would ask myself is “What do I want?” That would be followed with answers including money, a time-machine (Like the one from Back to the Future), a remote like the one from Click (without the side effects), immortality, intelligence, beauty, or a vile of mojo (like the one from Austin Powers). I’d grin and chuckle at all of this for a while, planning my way to stardom. Then, suddenly, I’d snap back to reality and think “Wait a second, this is a WIZARD we’re talking about here! I need to think bigger!”
Eventually, I’d realize that I misunderstood the wizard’s rule about how this is for someone else. Naturally, I’d think “Fine, I’ll just give my mother an unlimited source of money, and then tell her to give it all to me”. Then I’d realize that this was against Bunje’s rules. Damn, I can never win! Some way or another, I’d come to the conclusion that this power is much more important than any of my petty needs. So I’d think about who really deserves this gift from me. My mom? My family? My friends? The AP Lang Class? Everyone I knew? My country? The planet? I got it, how about the entire universe.
So I’d fiddle around with my thumbs for a bit, thinking what the universe could really use from me. Energy? The universe, in a way, already has an infinite supply of that. Infinite time? Time is relative, and of little importance anyway. The universe doesn’t really need anything me. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it would strike me. “What if I could give the entire understanding of the universe? Like a very large science book (from hell)!” I could tell the wizard to give someone a book detailing everything there is to know about the entire universe (biology, chemistry, physics, and whatever else is out there yet to come)! Mission success!
As I contemplated this question, I’d be frustratingly stuck with one simple question “Who do I give this book to?” My first thought would be Barrack Obama! He one of the most powerful and influential men in the world, he could do many good things with this book. Then I’d consider all the ways this decision could go wrong. Being the president, he probably has some super secret plans going on I don’t know about, and this book could easily end up in the wrong hands. After all, being America, the government would conceal all the secrets and use them for military superiority. I’d realize no person in politics could receive this gift. I’d ponder, “Who can I trust to be in control of this book? How about someone who hates politics?” Instantly, one name would appear in my mind, Bill Maher. Reflecting on this idea, I’d come to a disappointing conclusion. Three things are wrong with this idea. One, people hate him! No one is going to listen, let along believe, someone they hate. Two, Bill Maher may be socially intelligent, but lets be honest, he’s not very smart in the scientific sense. Finally, he’s freaking crazy! I’d recall all the insane things he’s said and done and realize he would not be an adequate recipient of this book. What about someone really smart? Like Stephen Hawking? Unfortunately, he has a little trouble communicating and I have little faith he could maintain the safety of the book. Who could ever maintain the safety of the book? I’d think of Julian Assange, but then realize this wizard showed up a bit too late for that option to work out.
ReplyDeleteAfter having all these thoughts go though my head, I’d come up with a checklist of all the qualities that the receiver of this book must have. They must be fundamentally intelligent, anti-political, anti-religious (any non-atheist would proceed to immediately tear up the book), influential, rich (immutable to monetary bribe), strong (in the sense that they can protect the book), scientific, and have a heavy does of common sense.
By this time, the wizard would probably start to become quite annoyed with me. After all, he must get on with his work (teaching wizarding 101 at Hogwarts). Finally, as the wizard is threatening to leave my house without granting me the power, I would scream out “I would like to give Richard Dawkins a book detailing everything there is to know about the entire universe. Please also to tell him to keep it safe and spread the information to everyone” and poof! The wizard would be gone, and, after the initial shock, I’d sit down and continue on my AP Lang work, hoping that what I aspired for would actually turn out the way I planned.
In all honesty, I’d want to give this gift because it betters everything. From every human to every living thing out there. This gift would bring intelligence and understanding to all. Because this gift is so powerful, there is no “perfect recipient”. There are flaws about everyone that could endanger the book. I only say Richard Dawkins because he matches the most important criteria and I couldn’t think of any flaws off the top of my head. When it comes to advice, what possible advice could adequately accompany a gift of this magnitude? I’d simply warn him about the dangers and encourage him to spread the knowledge. In the end, I’d hope my gift bettered everyone, because bettering the collection of us is always superior than the betterment of any individual.
This is hard. I have a gift in mind but I don't know who in my life I would give it to. This gift is happiness. And I mean genuwine happiness. The ability to live carefree without any worries, anxiety, depression etc. I want this person to have joy and love in their heart. Not let the little things bother them like so many people do today. I don't want them to be robbed of any other emotion because most are normal parts of my life but I just don't want to see them in pain anymore either, which brings me to the possible recipients of this gift; my mother and my sister. My mother has been through so much pain and struggle I just don't want to see her suffer anymore. Everything she does I know she does it for her kids and she just tries so hard to take care of all of us and provide for us but sometimes it just doesn't go through. Of course I tell her its okay, I'm fine because I love her but I still see the hurt in her eyes and heart when she can't follow through. Happiness would suck this pain right up! And make me just relieved that this amazing mother is simply happy. Not worrying all the time or incessantly working and working. The only other person in this world that makes me second guess giving this gift to my mom is Kayla, my twin sister. Only she's so much more then that, she's my best friend. We spend everyday together constantly by eachothers side, looking out for one another, helping eachother when neccesary, ALWAYS laughing and joking with one another etc. When she's upset or irritated (which she often is irritated) I do everything I can to make her feel better. I mean we're so close I hate seeing her like that, especially since it rubs off on me. And lately I've started to notice a pattern with this. My attitude of the day often reflects hers. If she's not in a good mood, then it rubs off on me since we're always together and I find myself in a slump. So maybe a part of me selfishly wants to give Kayla happiness but more importantly, I just love her and want her as carefree as ever. So mom or sister? After sleeping on it (which by no means is enough time to make this decision) I've decided if I could give one thing to anyone in the world I'd give my mom happiness. I guess because she's already lived the majority of her life and enough is enough (I mean enough with pain). And Kayla's still young, for the most part everything she feels is normal for a 17 year old girl. However the one piece of advice I would give to my mom is share it. Share it with my aunts when they are going through their extreme anxiety, share it with my brothers and sisters (ESPECIALLY KAYLA!:)) when they just feel so down and impossible about something, and most importantly just share it with anyone who desperately needs it. Because sharing such a great gift of happiness with others only increases the amount you obtain yourself.
ReplyDeleteTo MiMi: I loved your blog, it was absolutely beautiful I think I'm actually tearing up right now. Ha I'm such a sucker for romance it's sick. But hearing your introduction paragraphs made me think of my own grandmother. No I'm not as close to mine as you are to yours but I still feel that bond with her. The "I can turn to you when mom and dad says no" bond. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteJanel:
ReplyDeleteI definitely think you should join the Peace Corps. My dad was in the Peace Corps for about....12-15 years? That's why he went to Africa! If he didn't join, I wouldn't be here. So I'm kind of Pro-Peace Corps. I really want to do it after I graduate college too. But anyways, I've heard you talk about your grandfather before. I think he's really lucky to have a granddaughter like you. Most grandchildren seem to hate their grandparents, but what you two seem to have is very special.
I thought to myself, “Man, this blog is gonna be EASY.” But then Kendall said she would give “genuine happiness” to her mom, so now this blog has gone back to being hard again. Oh well. Such is life.
ReplyDeleteI used to believe that genies or leprechauns or fairies or some other magical creatures could grant me wishes, and I always knew what I would wish for: a million dollars for my parents. Of course, that was more related to my greed than anything else, but as I grew up a little and actually intended the money to go to my parents, I realized something. Something that completely uprooted my plans in the event of a leprechaun capture came into my head. I realized that in order to give my parents money, the money would have to come from somewhere (or it would be fake money), thereby shattering all possible benefits to gaining that million dollars. I never created a new wish since that fateful day, the day my wishes collapsed.
However, I have a temporary replacement wish. It is a great wish; it’s one that would solve a lot of problems. Well, just for my mom, mostly. As you guys have probably heard, my mom is overweight. Although she is overweight, she has fewer health issues than my dad, who is less overweight. My mom struggles with several aspects of her life due to this weight that she carries with her.
The first is probably one of the most debilitating: her knees. When a person does squats and other leg-intensive weight-lifting his knees become weaker because of the extra amount of weight pushing against them. The same effect affects my mom every day. Her knees have become harder and harder to manage due to ever-increasing arthritis in her knees to the point that sometimes she needs to take Aleeve several times a day just to get by. I really feel helpless when she has trouble going up and down steps, getting in her car, or even standing up from her chair.
My mom also has problems with the insurance company. Apparently, the insurance company thinks ALL FAT PEOPLE WILL DIE BEFORE THEY’RE 50 FROM HEART DISEASE. This obviously isn’t true because my mom is older than 50 and probably doesn’t have a single blocked artery in her body. This makes me think of other types of discrimination (like racial, religious, sexual), and it makes me pissed.
The final problem my mom has with her weight is her father. Ever since she was younger, her father bantered her about her weight and her success. I feel that if this weight were removed her father would be less… grandpa-y towards her. Even if this doesn’t work, it might still make her feel better physically and mentally.
If you haven’t figured it out already, I would wish that my mom wouldn’t be obese anymore. It would make her life so much better—it would be like giving her the original gift of genuine happiness. I would warn her to make sure that she maintains whatever weight she is after the wish, which I’m sure she would do happily and easily. In reality, she is actually really good at eating the right things, it’s just when she is working it is hard for her to lose weight. Several eating books have said similar things that she follows to lose weight successfully.
The only bad thing this would bring would be that my mom wouldn’t be as comfy as a pillow, but that is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good.
Tom:Well, I'm sorry I made the blog much harder for you, not my intention! However I'm sure your gift to your mom will make it harder for those who will be posting their blog after yours hard as well. It's because your gift is entirely unselfish. Today in Matlack's class we were discussing the blog and he over heard. He told us a gift is something you would give to someone without expecting anything in return. So like you said, wishing for a million dollars for your parents would be completely selfish. However your true gift to your mom will only, "make her life so much better—it would be like giving her the original gift of genuine happiness", which is just beautiful Tom!
ReplyDeleteGeorge: Okay, so your blog was hilarious. I like the fact that you took a humorous approach to this, because everyone else will make me go "AWE!" or tear up. So thank you, I needed the laugh. But not only was it funny it was an ingenious plan producing an ingenious gift. I think the hardest part of this blog isn't the actual gift but who the recipient is. However your gift solves that problem (assuming Richard Dawkins shares the book)and I can't help but agree with your final statement to the core, "In the end, I’d hope my gift bettered everyone, because bettering the collection of us is always superior than the betterment of any individual".
ReplyDeleteTo Mimi: That's awesome! I was brainstorming with my sister on what to do after college and we both came up with the Peace Corps. As for your blog, it was so cute! I can tell that your grandparents truely loved each other and that's something that not even death can stop. I am not really a lovey dovey kind of girl, but if I do fall in love your grandparents are the prime example of how I would want it to be. Your gift is a beautiful and heartfelt one. Your grandparents should be proud!
ReplyDeleteTo George: I would have to agree with Kendall that your blog was hilarious. It was also well thought out and meant something. The point that you would want the betterment of the majority shows a lot about your character. Looking past the humor and pop culture references your post was very well written and I enjoyed reading it!
To Kendall: Happiness is probably the best gift you could give someone. You really love your family; don't let that change! You mother, brothers and sisters should be lucky to have someone like you in their lives. I gove you kudos for choosing between your mother and your sister. If I put myself in your situation I would have probably picked my sister out of sheer panic. Equally my sister reflects the mood I am in, even though we're not twins! Choosing your mother over Kayla shows just how much you do love her and want her to be happy!!
She tiptoes timidly about in the prison in which she was born, stumbling sheepishly through life. Her parents are her overseers, and religion her ball-and-chain. She is trapped beneath the roof of a father who is a devout pastor and a mother who insists on homeschooling her. Her free time is filled with little more than going to church, and she is forced to abide by many strict religious rules, such as only wearing specific types of clothing and never cutting her hair or wearing makeup. Her whole life is planned out by someone else. In the writing of her past, present, and future, she is forbidden to hold the pen.
ReplyDeleteBy marriage, she is a part of my family, but by lifestyle, she is barely a part of my species.
I don’t mean to say that her home life is not abundant with love. She’s not unhappy, not entirely. She has a few friends and a few hobbies and a few brothers who make her laugh often. But there are moments, moments so subtle that only a fellow teenager could recognize, moments when her drawn-on smile fades, moments when that repressed but brilliant sense of humor evaporates, moments when her skin itself seems drained of any life.
I often think my parents are too strict when it comes to letting me live the life I choose, but when I look at her, when I look into her shining eyes, which seem to shine less brightly every day, a wave of gratitude for my life and for my parents knocks me off my feet.
If I could, I would give her so much. I would give her freedom. I would give her independence. I would give her rebellion. When we were younger she used to tell me of her dreams to become a pilot. More than anything she wanted to fly. Unfortunately, her traditional mother would never let her strive for a career that is so nontraditional for women, so there was nothing she could do but let those dreams die. And as she watches her own hope fade, I watch her fade. For more than ten years I have been watching her youthful exuberance dissolve. I stand on the sidelines as her intelligence is wasted in an ambition-leeching lifestyle and her humor is compromised in a morbidly dull existence.
Freedom and independence and rebellion are all desirable gifts, but their contents are vague. To be more specific, I would give her my life, if only for a week. I want her to know what it’s like to go to high school, to dress as you please and say what you feel, to be able to speak to so many of your friends in person every day, to get a shiny new driver’s license, to meet new people all the time, to listen to your heart and fall in love, to disobey your parents once in a while, to know that there’s nothing or no one in this world that will stop you from being all that you dream of being in the future. I would sacrifice all of this for a week in hopes that, just once, she could feel all that a teenager is meant to feel: the pains, the joys, and most importantly, the experiences. Only then could she smash through those shackles, burst out of that prison, and just breathe.
In a way, this blog was pretty easy for me. I know what I would give, and who I would give it to. My mother has given me a whole lot, and sometimes I give her an awful hard time, sometimes she deserves it, sometimes I'm really just looking for a place to push my own frustrations. Usually she doesn't deserve it (despite what my past angry blog posts have implied) and I really ought to repay her for that.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom did an incredible thing for me, and my brothers, twenty-some years ago. My mother is a college educated woman, an incredibly smart and talented person, but she works as a card-organizer at CVS. "Why?" is both a relevant and reasonable question in this circumstance, and the answer is for me (and my brothers). The primary benefit of her job is a flexible schedule, one that allows her to be there for her kids when she needs to be, one that allows her to give rides, one that allows her to pick us up when we're sick and make us feel better. She gave up the career she wanted and the things she wanted because she thought her kids deserved to have her around when they needed her.
So, in light of my Mom's sacrifice, I woud give her a second chance at the career she wanted. A chance for her to have a job where she uses her brain, rather than just stacking cards, where she is intellectually challenged and rewarded. My success has a great deal to do with my Mom's sacrifice, and the least I could do is wish for her to have a chance at the same kind of success in her career. Thanks to her, I am where I am, so I want her to have the chance for the kind of rewarding career that I would expect for myself.
This response feels short, so to pad it, I'll add that if I had a second gift to give I would give Kristin Petty a million dollars so she can get a quad. It's what she asked for, but I think that would be a really expensive quad, she also insisted that I include that in this post, sooooo there it is. Boom.
Autism affects approximately every 1 in 110 people. For each and every one of these people, there is a family. A group of people united in the struggle against Autism. Many people are uneducated on the seriousness and adversity that accompanies dealing with Autism. Each day is an uphill climb for the parents and family members caring for those tainted by the foul touch of Autism. The disorder suffocates the individual’s ability to simply interact with others. It takes away a lot of what makes us human. Autism presents unlimited difficulties for these individuals; in turn causing turmoil within the core of the family.
ReplyDeleteEach day presents some sort of hardship and each night comes with uncertainty. For many families dealing with Autism there are periods of restlessness. This fatigue and angst is known dearly by my Aunt and Uncle. Their child, my cousin, was diagnosed with Autism at an early age. But as if that weren’t enough, he also suffers from an outlandishly numerous amount of severe allergies. This problem stringently constricts his way of life and presents a constant sense of urgency given these circumstances. This is not to be outdone by his dire susceptibility to frequent seizures either.
Overall, it would appear that some people are just dealt a bad hand. But my Aunt and Uncle don’t always look at it that way. Their experience with this situation has forced them to become stronger and more resilient. They are overcome with intense explosions of joy any time that my cousin makes progress. But it has also worn on them tremendously. Being completely objective in my observations, I can tell that they are not okay. There is nothing okay with living each day on the brink of exhaustion. There is nothing okay with having to go each day worrying if the unthinkable might happen. There is nothing okay about having the life drained out of you on a daily basis.
So, what exactly is my gift? It should be pretty apparent by now. My gift is the cure to Autism and any other ailments suffered by my cousin for the sake of him and my Aunt and Uncle. This gift reaches even outside that intermediate realm. It reaches into the hearts of every single one of my family members. It reaches into the heart of my grandmother that is always and so very often distraught over the state of my cousin.
In many ways this gift would breathe new life into my Aunt and my Uncle. It would give my cousin a new life almost entirely. It would give him a chance to live for the first time; to experience the wonders of the world without being hampered by illness or by disorder. This gift would restore happiness to their lives, and would relieve the pain they feel on a regular basis. The boulder of adversity that burdens them upon their shoulders would instantly be pulverized.
If there is any advice one can attach to this gift (if advice is necessary at all), it would simply be—“live”. Just “live”. Live to the fullest capacity. Life is precious and beautiful. It should be cherished and held on to with a mighty grasp. It should be experienced to the fullest heights this world offers.
In our fallible nature as humans, we falter chiefly on the principle of greed. We often seek to better ourselves before others. This only leads to a world stained with misery and tarnished with darkness. If we can see past our murky voraciousness and actually extend a gift to another human being—we can spark a light. We can spark a light that can shine through that darkness and straight into the heart and soul of humanity. Only when this is achieved can we begin to realize our purpose as humans.
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ReplyDeleteI spent more time pondering this blog question than any previous blog question. I don’t like to think of myself as selfish, but all humans have an amount of selfishness inside them. Some people are more humble than others, but like John Locke said, all of our choices are made in self-interest one way or another. Accepting the fact that I had to give the gift to someone else was not, however, the most time consuming part of my decision. I spent a few hours trying to think of what it was I wanted to give someone else, but I couldn’t think of anything. I decided to change my angle, to tackle the question differently. I wanted to answer the other part of the question first: who am I to give it to? Of course, I would choose someone close to me that I felt needed something important, something missing from his or her life.
ReplyDeleteThen it hit me. Both my father and my twin brother, David, have something in common. Neither of them likes to read. No matter how much I tell David of the importance of reading, I can never convince him to read a book. After all, reading is essentially how people learn, how people gain knowledge. As for my dad, I don’t really want to try to tell him that he should read more. As a result, both of them have horrible spelling and grammar issues. I am daily asked by them to spell common two or three syllable words. I thought that giving the desire to read to either my father or my brother would be a great idea, but which one should I give this gift to? Wait one more second, Dumbledore. If I give this gift to my dad, he’ll probably read more books relating to his business and the economy. He’s already his own boss, to a certain extent, and this gift would allow him to climb higher in the ranks of Primerica. I could suggest books that I like and even buy him books for the holidays. I’d actually have something in common with him. But then I thought about giving the gift to David. If I give this gift to David, he’ll probably start to read the books that he already owns. He does currently own books, but I can’t figure out why. After that he’ll probably find books about war, a subject he enjoys, and tell me about his favorite war stories. I wouldn’t expect him to read any of my books because he immediately decides to hate anything I own or like.
I let these thoughts soak in the bathwater of my brain, so after a while I would know which choice holds the most value. I love my father, and I love my brother. I wish both of them had the desire to read already, but the restriction of this gift-giving has forced me to reluctantly choose between the two. I chose to give the gift to my brother, David, because he is still really young. I’m not suggesting that my dad is old enough to render the gift a waste, but he has a lot less time to live than my brother, assuming that they both live to a ripe age. My dad makes six figures with his current job, so he obviously did something right. He’s happily married to my mom, he’s raising a family, and he seems quite content with his life. My brother, however, doesn’t have it all figured out yet. Education is becoming increasingly important in our society, more so than when my dad was young. I fear for my brother’s future in this increasingly advancing world. I have said this to my mother but she just thinks I’m being extreme. Maybe she’s right, but I’m still going to give this gift to my brother.
I’ll admit that I don’t have as strong a desire to read as I used to. When I was younger I read many books, sometimes one book more than once. I still read a few books in the summer, but I have limited time to myself during the school year and I spend it watching television, playing video games, or listening to music. When my brother receives this gift, I will advise him to read about whatever it is he enjoys, and to read often. His new found love for reading should not replace other things of a higher priority though. He must find a healthy balance. Hopefully seeing him read often will begin to motivate me to spend more time reading as well.
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ReplyDeleteTo George: I thought the same thing when I was reading the blog question. Why can’t I give myself something nice? But anyway, I like how your gift is given to one person but beneficial to all of society. My gift is given to one person, but it does affect those around him. Richard Dawkins was a good choice for the recipient of the all-knowing book.
ReplyDeleteTo Kendall: I promise that I read your post AFTER I wrote mine. It’s amazing how similar our conflicts were in deciding how to answer this blog question! I had to choose between my father and my twin brother. And, as opposed to your decision, I chose my brother because he is younger and has his entire life ahead of him.
To Tom: As with every other blog post, your gift is extremely selfless. I know your mother and to think you would give her this gift gives me a warm feeling. Your mother is an excellent person and I would like to see her benefit from such a gift. By the way, I thought your last sentence was pretty funny. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.
So after reading this blog about a million things ran through my mind. Love, happiness, and dreamers went running through my head first. I suppose these are three of the most important things to me if you haven't gathered that from most of my other blogs. I had such a hard time coming up with what wish I would grant, but here are the options I eventually came up with.
ReplyDeleteSo of course I wanted to bestow the gift of love onto someone. The first person that ran through my mind was my grandfather. He's one of my best friends. I don't have a large enough vocabulary to describe how amazing he treats everyone else. I can't possibly thank him enough for everything he has taught me. But if I had a wish I would want to give him love. It's not like he's never been in love. He met my grandmother when she was a freshman in high school and they are now both eighty years old and still married. He's had the love of a lifetime. He's experienced that eternal love that I've always wanted. My grandmother has always suffered with anxiety, but it has always been controlled. However, an event late in her life has caused her to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder which in turn eventually caused her mental state to deteriorate pretty quickly. Sometimes she doesn't know what's going on or what day it is. This has really caused a lot of stress in my entire family. But out of everyone, I can clearly see my grandfather hurting the most. I can see that the love of his life has been taken away from him, even though she's physically there. His eyes don't twinkle the way they used to. I hate looking at his fake smile and knowing that he has a broken heart. He's 81 right now and seven months ago didn't look a day over 65. His stress has added about forty years to his face. Every time I see a new wrinkle in his face my heart breaks a little more knowing why that wrinkle is there. So I guess if I had a wish it would be to make my grandmother the way she used to be. I want to take her mind and put it back to a sound state so that my grandfather could have his wife back.
Then, I thought of happiness and the innocence of childhood and I thought of my mother. Childhood was such a fragile and beautiful time in my life and I don't think it's right that not everyone gets the chance to experience it. My mom is a perfect example. My childhood and hers are completely juxtaposed to one another. I consider my childhood to be magical and filled with love, happiness, sparkly objects, and swing sets. My mother grew up in a completely different environment. She had to be an adult from the very beginning. She had absolutely terrible parents and I suppose that's why she no longer speaks to them. My mom is so giving and it's not right she never could experience the happiness and innocence of being a child. I really wish she was nurtured the way she nurtures me.
The last wish I wanted to grant was for my cousin, and this one involved dreams. He first picked up a baseball bat when he was two years old and has never put it down. When he was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up at three years old, he responded with "baseball player." You can ask him now at seventeen, and he'll still give you the same answer. He works relentlessly towards bettering his game. Every single day of his life (and I mean everyday - weekends, holidays, when he's sick, etc) he carries out the same routine. He starts at a regular gym to lift weights and run, then goes to a batting cage, then to a special pitching coach, then to his high school team practice, then to his club team practice, then to come home and either watch live baseball games on TV or taped interviews with old baseball players. He plays in every type of weather too. It can be snowing out, but he's still doing something concerning baseball. Baseball consumes hours upon hours of his day. Due to his hard work, he has become one of the best pitchers in his state and maintains an extremely low ERA and an amazing strikeout percentage. He's the apotheosis of what an athlete should be. But deep in his heart, he's a true fan of the sport. He lives for the smell of the grass and the feel of the baseball in his hand. He randomly quotes baseball movies and rattles off the statistics of any player you are wondering about. His grades are pretty average, but they could be so much better if he put some sort of effort into academics. So, of course, being the curious person I am, I've asked him, "You're intelligent and have so much drive and determination towards baseball. Why don't you use any of that motivation for school?" And he always responds, "I like baseball more." Although I think he should put more time and effort into school, I always tend to smile when he gives me this answer. He's striving to achieve that dream he's always had. He works so hard and I really just want him to play in the big leagues like he's always wanted to. I just wish I could tell his three year old self that his dream would come true.
ReplyDeleteAs I look back at the three wishes I realized that they all encompass things I value: love, happiness, and dreams. But who I were giving these wishes to stood out much more. The ideas that ran through my mind all were going to someone in my family. I guess that shows that I value them more than anything else because of the things they have given to me. They've taught me love, happiness, and how to dream. I wanted to give back the things they taught me. So even though I still can't make a decision in who to give my one wish to, my options really solidified something for me. By only considering family members to give the wish to I realized that in my life, blood is thicker than water.
Rachel:
ReplyDeleteI know, I complain about little things my parents do that piss me off. Many of us do this; but after reading this I wonder about those individuals that truly have it bad. And I don't mean bad parenting, but just being able to live the way you want, or having restrictions on what you want to do. There are a lot of little things in my culture that I’m not allowed to do. Those things always piss me off. I’m not sure why I can’t do it, I know I just can’t. Sometimes, I do those things, but it always upsets my mother. However, my parents have not denied me the right to “being a teenager.” We take for granted the things we can do as teenagers compared to other kids our age.
Ted:
A very close family friend has a son with autism, and I can honestly say that he is one of the greatest people I’ve ever met in my whole entire life. The thing I love about him is that he understands that he’s different, but he doesn’t let that bother him. He’s energetic, and sweet and freaking hilarious. Every time I see him, he always talks nonstop about the events happening in his life. It wasn’t until I read your blog that I truly noticed how much I learned from this 8 (?) year old boy. People often look at Autism, and other conditions, as life debilitating, and though they are difficult to handle, I do think that there is something to learn from them.
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ReplyDeleteTed: I thought your gift was really sweet and well thought out. It was very touching and one of your specific paragraphs put everything into perspective for me. "If there is any advice one can attach to this gift (if advice is necessary at all), it would simply be—'live'. Just “live”. Live to the fullest capacity. Life is precious and beautiful. It should be cherished and held on to with a mighty grasp. It should be experienced to the fullest heights this world offers." That is beautifully said and is a wonderful piece of advice.
ReplyDeleteTom "Phantom Dreamkiller"- That's awfully nice of you, and I'm glad to see I'm not the only Momma's boy here. So thanks for that I guess. I wonder whether inflation formulas are designed to compensate for gifts from wizards? I guess we better refrain from monetary gifts for the sake of our economy.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, I'm sure you've thought of this, but if you gave the book to Dawkins, who would believe what the book said? Atheists are highly mistrusted, and the irony of an atheist getting all of the answers to life's questions from a single book is too crippling for me. What makes you think Dawkins would just accept the contents of this book? Doesn't the very existence of this book and the wizard that grants it shake all of the foundations of science anyway? Somehow, I think this book would raise more questions than it could possibly answer.
Dan, I love how your post speaks to the truth of that statement (I have no idea where I heard it) that the greatest gift to give is the gift of reading. (Is that a cliche, I don't even know) Anyway, the gift of reading is the gift of self-betterment, and few things are more rewarding.
Of course, the first thing I thought of was giving someone happiness. And then I thought that idea sucked because I can’t think of any one person to give it to. So then I thought I’d give someone power. Someone who didn’t want it, but would do great things with it. I would basically create the next another Lincoln, save for the fact that Lincoln wanted his power. But he did good things with it, so who knows. Maybe I could just give it to someone who I’d trust to be a great leader. Unfortunately, I can’t think of anyone who would be a great leader. Then I thought of giving Hitler a hug. A nice, long, sincere, embracing hug, soon after he was rejected from art school. But then I realized Stalin might need one too, as well as some other nasty war criminals. And that’s too many people.
ReplyDeleteNext I thought about the most selfish things I could do. I could give myself something (because I certainly am “one person”) but realized that joke would be lame after two paragraphs. So I considered giving someone else something so they could do something for me. I would extend the life of Mr. Barry Hughart so he could finish up the Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox. I could give Jeff Mangum the inspiration to create an album better than In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, or I could just give anyone the inspiration to make the best album ever. How about I bring Kubrick back to life, so he can make another awesome movie? Or just give someone the inspiration to make a Kubrick movie? This selfish list could go on and on, and wouldn’t solve any problems.
I feel like the best one from everything I mentioned is the one where I give someone power. Power gets things done. But what if it turns into absolute power? What if they fall under the pressure of having power? But without absolute power this person would have to overcome obstacles to use their power. And I still can’t think of anyone who would be good with power. Oh well.
But what about incorruptible power? The power to change the world for good, and only good? Well, it’s basically foolproof. So I’ll give this power to someone who will make the best of it. Also, someone who won’t mind losing a little bit of free will. So I’ll give it to Bill Gates. He has money for all the times he doesn’t want to do stuff for humanity, and power (now that I’m giving it to him) for when he does. He also feels like he owes the world something for giving him so much damn money, so he may as well do something more than throw heaping piles of cash at charities.
I’d send this guy some power, and a note, because I don’t feel like talking to him. It would say “Hey Bill. I’m giving you the power to change the world for good. How you go about doing that is up to you. Also, you can only use it to do beneficial things for humanity. Use your money for everything else, because you have it. So have fun doing making the world a better place, Mr. Gates.”
Of course, if he didn’t make the world a better place, and decided to not use the power at all, I’d have to get all angry, run around, and shake my fists at Mount Olympus because the gods cursed my decision making abilities.
James: Your post was so cute! Your mom sounds like a beautiful, lovely lady who adores her kids more than anything. Your mom is lucky to have a son like you who would give her this gift. (:
ReplyDeleteKendall: Your post fits you perfectly. Before reading it I had a feeling that it would include happiness or love and it's because I've become accustomed to what you value and what you look for in a person through our long, and sometimes random, conversations. Maybe it was easier for me to somewhat figure out what you value because I believe we share a lot of the same personality traits and thoughts. Sp I think your gift is perfect. It really shows what is important to you and the things that you want in life. I find that admirable. I love how you are not afraid to be a hopeless romantic and let everyone know it. Your post this week once again shows that. Don't ever stop being who you are because you're beautiful inside and out and the world needs more Kendalls around.
ReplyDeleteIf I were able to give anything at all to any particular person on earth, I think I’d become too overwhelmed with the infinite boundaries of my choices, and end up giving someone something completely useless. However, seeing as though this is entirely hypothetical and I’ve had some time to think it through, I’ve been able to settle on a seemingly fitting decision.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, a question such as this that holds such a vastness of option, begs that one will designate a gift of unimaginable greatness, of divine awesomeness, and of course of considerable usefulness. In consideration of this gift, I decided that bestowing anyone something tangible would either prove to only feed into one’s selfishness or essentially turn out to be a complete waste of one of those genie-lamp wishes that we as children could only dream of. I want this gift to hold importance, physically and mentally. I don’t want to give my friends “things” and I don’t want to give my family more “stuff”. Because in the end, what value (beyond the monetary sense) do these “things” have? Clothes, perfumes, jewelry, shoes, planters, washing machines, toaster ovens… why would items of such unimportance even become a consideration in my final wish? If I have the chance to positively impact somebody; somehow, some way, and in mere seconds, I wouldn’t let the quick fix of a “thing” override that sentiment.
I’m not an oblivious girl, but for a great portion of my life I let the importance of my own father fall to the wayside. I’m busy, and so is he. And those are our lifestyles; forever winding and spinning, but barely crossing paths. Growing up, I’ve become closer to him. I started to realize that I was too stuck in my own world to see who was handing me a twenty dollar bill for the movies on Friday nights, who was cheering me on at tennis matches, who brought me tacos for dinner on taco Tuesdays. What I also seemed to miss was how stressful his job could be, the anxiety he had over money and bills, college tuitions and insurance. I always want him to know how grateful I am for all that he does for me, and the only thing in my mind that could possibly equate with his fatherly efforts is my success in everything I do. I know that he does a lot, and has been through a lot, and doesn’t always get what he deserves. My gift is simple in context but complex in meaning; I would give my father happiness. Sometimes I fear that he is so overwhelmed by what he does, that life loses meaning, and joy. I want that joy to resonate within him and to be an ever-present reminder of life’s beauty. With the gift, I would give little advice, I feel as if he would be familiar enough with what to do. Simply put, instead of giving him something that would essentially lead to temporary happiness, I would take him right to the source for all of its wealth.
To Cole: Who else but Bill Gate’s to be humanity’s personal hero? I thought you effectively used humor to answer the question posed. Your thoughts on the gift of power were pretty right on, and I think you were smart to identify how the gift of power can be so easily corrupted. So why not make a loophole where it can only be used for good? Now we can make a new movie about Bill Gates and his struggle to save humanity from itself.
ReplyDeleteTo James: I enjoyed the simplicity and kindness of your gift. I feel like a lot of good parents give up a lot for their children. When we recognize this, we often reflect about how their lives could be better had they went in another direction. So giving your mom another chance at a great career is a magnificent gift.
To Daniel: I enjoyed the amount of thought you put into your decision of what to give and who to give it to. I agree that I think your brother would benefit more from the gift because of the things you said. I thought it was quite touching to give a gift to someone who doesn’t always make life easy for you—speaking as a sibling myself.
To fix the nation’s debt, to end all wars, to fulfill someone’s dreams. Any of these are obvious things to ask for. But they are vague. They are wishes that are as lousy a gift as a $20 gift card to Wawa. Though I’d love to be able to get a bunch of meatball subs with that gift and it can please me it won’t actually solve anything. If I fix the nation’s debt, what’s to stop them from rebuilding it? No matter how many wars are ended, fighting will still arise elsewhere. Though they would be happy, a person with a dream fulfilled with them would not have the pleasure of achieving it on their own. But who should I even give this gift to?
ReplyDeleteAfter spending a couple of days of staring at a blank screen I’ve finally realized that WHAT I shall give depends on WHO I shall give it to. I feel compelled to give something to someone that I care deeply for, somebody who I think will use the gift to do something great or could use the gift. Then, I figured that it couldn’t be someone like my girlfriend without it being sappy. After much contemplating, I decided on giving the gift to one of my best friend’s, Aaron Downs.
For those of you who don’t already know, Aaron Downs and I have become pretty good friends since I was a Freshman. Last year he picked me to be his stage manager for One-Acts and had asked me to help him write a script. The opportunity he gave me has opened my eyes to what I would want to do if I were to one day go into entertainment. I would want to direct and produce. He’s given me the opportunity to create a show from scratch when I was only a Sophomore, and now by the end of my high school career I will probably have done the same thing at least 5 times. I don’t think he knows how grateful I am for what he’s done, but he doesn’t really need to know.
Anyway, I plan of giving Aaron the thing that he would want more anything else in life, being on Broadway. Actually, I don’t plan on directly providing him with the role. The specific gift is really the strong, positive connections in entertainment that are necessary for him to get into his first musical. Aaron is one of the only actors/actresses that I’ve met at Oakcrest who is willing to put in the time, effort, and attention to do well in the field. I know if given the right opportunities he will work hard enough to reach his ultimate goal of Broadway. He doesn’t need the skill to make it, what he will need is connections because in entertainment, an actor needs a way to make it into the inner loop to make it big.
ReplyDeleteThe restrictions of the list are loose. The connections could become a great teacher, a director, or a friend of a director. With these connections could come a great school like the University of the Arts in Philly. More importantly, when he makes it to Broadway he’ll have the ability to do the greatest thing in the world, bringing a smile to the faces of many.
Before I send Aaron on his way with this gift, I have a few words of advice that is useful to anyone no matter what profession. First off, always be early to everything. There’s that old saying “Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.” Well that statement is 110% correct. The next is to listen to instructions carefully and no matter how important your boss (director) is, do anything to make their lives easier. For him, this will especially apply to learning lines and dance moves as quickly as possible. Last but not least, trust your instinct and follow it by throwing yourself at it. When entertaining, the best way to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd is to take chances. My mentality when directing a show is that “A show can never truly be great unless you can walk into the first performance thinking, ‘This show will be absolutely amazing or absolutely horrendous.’”
Will this change the world for the better? Maybe. The point of giving a gift is that you don’t expect anything in return though. I can’t give this gift, or any gift for that matter, hoping that it will put the world in a better position. All I can do is bring a smile to at least one person’s face.
James, As I wrote this blog I realized there would be many imperfections with my choice. You are absolutely right when you prepose the circumstance that Dawkins could completely deny the contents of the book. I thought long and hard about who should receive the book, and came to the conclusion there was no “perfect recipient”. Obviously, there would be flaws in Dawkins (for example, he’s pretty old), he was just the least flawed candidate I could think of. I also agree the existence of wizards completely destroys all scientific basis in my response. Concerning your statement, “Somehow, I think this book would raise more questions than it could possibly answer.” I did dwell on that as I created my response. My conclusion is that two geniuses arguing are better than two idiots. So although the book would bring more questions, I think that overall, it would be an improvement.
ReplyDeleteKendall, thank you for the appreciation! I purposely made my gift an object rather than an emotion (love, happiness, ect.) figuring that I could provide a little variation to the blog. Just like you, I also found the question of “Who do I give this too?” much more difficult than “What do I give?” I’m sure you had a very difficult time deciding between your mother and sister, but either way you had great intentions.
Rachel, in my opinion, who had by far the most creative gift of us all. I have no idea how you came across the idea of giving someone else your life temporarily, but it is truly genius. It made your response so much more powerful than saying you wanted to give someone “freedom”, which would have probably turned about to be quite banal. Commenting in a literary sense, your blog was highly intriguing and expertly held attention. The fact that you didn’t mention the subject of the text made the response highly mysterious and, in a literary way, seductive. I think you should try to incorporate this style in your writing more often, because I found it to be extremely successful.
James: We had similar posts I think, and the idea of your gift was very sweet. All parents tend to make sacrifices for their children but only a small amount of people seem to recognize that. So I really like how your blog spoke to that.
ReplyDeleteDominique: As for the gift of happiness for your mother, I was going to do the exact same thing for my blog, because I can completely identify with your description of the two juxtaposed childhoods. I guess I chose giving happiness to my dad instead because maybe he deserved it more, I'm not sure. Even people with rough childhoods can completely grow from it and not let it affect them any longer.
Patrick: Your post was beautiful, and one of the best ideas that I have read. But who would you give the gift to?!?!?! Maybe i missed it. Either way, you are so right in that many people take friendship for granted. Anyone who feels alone in the world knows that is so. And I know I have. Your ice skating example made me laugh and almost shed a tear because I can relate to that perfectly in different ways. Awesome post, I loved it :')
For two days I’ve let this question simmer in my head. For two days I’ve been groaning about the phrase, “one person.” For two days I’ve been brooding and mulling over what I could possibly give that was meaningful. For nearly twenty minutes I’ve been staring at my laptop screen indecisively. For just two seconds I thought I knew where I was going with this, but then my mother walked in and pointed out two frivolous new green flower pots she placed on my windowsill. And so for two more minutes I’ve been fruitlessly trying to recollect my lost thought.
ReplyDeleteAnd two seconds after typing out that paragraph, it finally hit me. That awful phrase “one person” actually just gave me my answer. It turns out the phrase “one person” is even more atrocious then I had first imagined.
By nature I’m a rather fickle person. I don’t enjoy making many decisions. I can’t tell if it’s because I’m too petrified at the thought that any one tiny decision could have a ripple effect that changes everything forever, or if it’s because any decision I make is ultimately so pointless to anything I care about that I never have the motivation to make it. Either way could explain my almost ungodly innate aversion to questions. So to lay on me that I can only pick one gift for one person ultimately gives me unlimited choices to choose from and only one to pick. It’s unbelievably cruel.
While I would like to help everybody out here, the nature of this question makes me feel as though I’m limited to helping only one person, like the question is designed to unravel my innermost intentions by torturously forcing me to pinpoint one person. But this is where the phrase “one person” really comes into play. While this phrase is inherently cruel to me, this phrase is an atrocious way to feel.
Now I don’t know who this person is. Perhaps I do know them, perhaps I don’t, but it doesn’t much matter in light of things. They’ve most likely never done anything for me that needs rewarding. I’ve most likely never done anything to them that needs rectifying. To the person in the world who is closest to rock bottom, closest to giving up on life, closest to becoming the Earth, I would bestow my gift. To the person who has the most life ahead of them but yet has made the choice to have the fewest moments ahead of them, I would bestow my gift. The next person to tie a knot in a bedroom, to unscrew a bottle on a bed, to ready a knife in the bathroom, would get my gift. The person who feels the most like just “one person” in a world full of 7 billion other people would receive a present.
In the newest and most splendid color none of us have ever seen, a box softer than rabbit ears would appear. There would be no bow on top, because knots aren’t so nice sometimes. There would be no top to unscrew, no tape to cut off. There would be nothing to remind this person of their intent. The doorbell would ring, courtesy of my new wizard friend. When the person got to the door, only the box would sit there. There would be no tags of where it came from. The lure of this unseen color would make the box impossible to ignore, make it so fascinating that the world would seem lost for a moment. The lid, once opened, would reveal no tangible objects inside.
ReplyDeleteNothing material.
Something so much better than that.
The bottom of the box could show you anything in the entire universe. It could should you any sliver of space, any slice of star, any chunk of moon. Underneath the lid of the box there would be a pretty script that said, “You’re not only one in seven billion in the world. You’re one of only seven billion in the universe.”
They say that no human mind can comprehend the size of the universe, that it’s just not on our scale of understanding. I’ve had a fleeting moment of two where I was able to almost grasp our insignificance in the universe. But then you have to think. In so much space, can we really be the only things able to live, able to make decisions? Even if not, for how many light-years of places that we can see, we’re still the only ones. We’re the only things that can smile, that can decide, that can live. This box, I think, could help a person understand the beauty of life. In a time of trouble, this person could open the box and see anything, understand anything. They’d know life wasn’t something worth giving up so easily because literally every second of life is a miracle. Billions of years had to happen exactly like they had to have this one second.
It didn’t always seem that way to me. It’s not unfathomable to imagine how anybody could lose sight of how precious life is. But it’s inexcusable if you can help them. So that would be my gift, to help. My advice would simply be that perhaps we’re all insignificant to the universe. But we’re all significant in we’re the only things that can act on “will,” not just the laws of nature. We’re all significantly insignificant. The last instruction would be to pass the box on to the next neediest person, when life has rightfully ended.
James “The James” Townley: Your post made me feel guilty about my scuffle with my mother today. I didn’t even know that was possible. I mean, looking back, I guess what she was saying was in my best interests. It more seemed like nagging at the time. I’m not really planning on apologizing because I was right in the end anyway so it turned out she was just nagging. I respect your ability to appreciate your mother; it’s really mature. She does sound worthy of that wish.
Tom: I can remember a couple years ago when I first heard you say your mom was heavy, but for some reason I never took you seriously. But your mom is so nice! She certainly doesn’t deserve what she has now. It’s not her fault she doesn’t have time! She has noble reasons behind what takes up her time, so if anything she deserves the opposite. Your post was adorable.
Nyamekye: Your post has made me officially screw all rules in favor of the greater good. I mean really, I don’t think anybody could be mad about you messing up the universe over that. That’s the kind of thing that isn’t a movie because it’s so beautiful that nobody would ever go see it because they would sob the whole time. And I just read this whole long thing about a boy and his dead dog so it’s made me extra girly-weepy.
I have a friend who worries me sometimes. Recently, I’ve come to realize that they are a bit woeful underneath it all. They are cynical and sometimes quite dejected. They are confused and lacking direction. Now I am not saying these things out of pity and I’m not trying to ridicule them. This person smiles and laughs, just like any other person. However, they’ve said some things which really made me think about them. I think--or I know--or I think I know that they’re suffering a lot on the inside. They have been through a lot after all. I wonder sometimes what goes on in their mind. I think they’re hurting much more than most people would imagine.
ReplyDeleteThese thoughts of mine have made me realize I don’t really know this person as well as I thought. And there are probably plenty of people who know a ton more about them than I do.
But oh well.
If a wizard visited me and gave me a wish, I’d wish to give my friend hope in themself and an optimistic outlook on life. I’d like these things to bring them much happiness.
If this wizard went to my friend instead of me, I know I would probably be the last person they’d use their wish for. They have a billion other friends who they probably care more about than they care about me. Honestly, they haven’t been there for me, and I haven’t been there for them. It’s not that we don’t care. We’ve just become distant somehow. They probably think I have it all or I’m worryless. I don’t blame them. But the fact is, my friend would probably wish for World War III before they even thought of wishing for something for their friend Emily Ding.
So why would I wish to help them out of all people?
It’s because they’re a friend, a friend who is a great person, who I truly care about. And of all people, they don’t deserve to be so down in the dumps all the time.
Upon giving my friend the package of hope and optimism, I would say to her, “Take this, and never let it go! Ever!” That’s the only advice I’d have, since the wish itself is powerful enough. And then I’d let the hope do it’s work and everyone would live happily ever after. Hopefully.
James: That’s so sweet! As I read your blog I was going “awwwwwwwwwwww” the whole time in my mind. Also, I’m curious, what exactly does a “card-organizer” do? I don’t understand what kind of cards at CVS need organizing, haha.
Rachel: It makes me sad that someone’s ambitions and character have been drained by their parents. I couldn’t imagine being so suppressed by my own family. Your wish would be an incredibly worthwhile one.
Dan: The gift of reading.. I like it! Same as you, I use to read a ton when I was little and not so much anymore. (However, after reading Autodidactic, I began reading books outside of school again.) I think a lot of people stop reading because reading boring things in school turns them off from reading in general, sadly. It does make sense though - watching some brainless television makes me feel better after a hard week of school.
George: Well, Dawkins seems like a decent choice. For some reason, he seemed like a good choice for mine as well, but then I realized he’s more about science and religion than charity and people. I feel like with the power he would just attempt to get rid of religion, but if that wasn’t the right choice, what would he do next? I must admit though, he does seem like a good candidate for the book of everything ever. I was also thinking Neil Degrasse Tyson, but he’s agnostic, and I’m assuming you picked Dawkins because of his atheism.
ReplyDeleteDan: I really enjoyed your blog today. It was brimming with innocence and good intentions, as usual. And, as an avid reader myself, I also agree wholeheartedly with your point. It seems like reading has gotten me further in life, and helps me all around. It’s also kind of enjoyable too. I can understand your choice also. Your brother would probably benefit more in today’s society, what with the emphasis on education.
Amber: Fantastic, and indented. When did that start? I can’t seem to remember… Anyways. Yours seems so not mainstream, in that you didn’t really pick a specific person, but just described one. Unfortunately, there are so many people who at the same time are extremely near giving up on life, it feels like you’ve copped out and let your description decide for you. I can’t help but think that, if you save only one, they may be the wrong one (this is just the gift you give to other person, not the gift the other person passes on). What if you could’ve saved someone who would’ve done something fantastic for the world, and your description instead chose someone who would recover slightly and live a mediocre life? It seems like there’s so many ways it could go wrong. But I think the same goes for mine as well, considering the ambiguity of “power” and “beneficial”.
To James: I know exactly what you mean. My mom has been the reason why I am where I am academically. Always fighting for me, and always trying to do what’s best for me. I tend to give her a harder time than I should because she isn’t as supportive as the arts side of my life as I want her to be. Overall though I know that I could do more for her and I hope that maybe your mom can get a chance to do what she had originally wanted to.
ReplyDeleteTo Ted: As I slowly shifted down the page of blogs I saw autism in yours and I automatically knew what it would be about. I hope for your family’s sake that the cure for autism will come quickly, though if it isn’t found in the near future I think I’m going to spend a great deal of time in my career trying to defeat it for your cousin.
To Amber: You may be slow to make a decision (it’s okay, I am too!) but I think that your’s is perfect because it is a gift that can save a life by showing the greatness of the person you gave that box to. I wish there were more people like you out there, sadly though I’ve never quite met someone like Amber Kell.
Dom D: Dom, I must say you have a good heart. Every paragraph you wrote was titillating with emotion and I felt it as I read each and every word. I feel as though I can relate with wanting to wish love to a loved one to rebuild a shattered mind. I think its great that you tell multiple stories of what you would wish for for multiple people because that just shows how kind a person you really are. I hope that your wishes for your family comes true.
ReplyDeleteMike G: I'm glad that you feel the same way as I do, that wishing upon such thing as " fixing the national debt" or "abolishing famine, disease, and death" (in my case), are just common wishes that really have no taste to them. Sure they are great wishes but they are just so "vague" as you put it and there is no certain guarantee that these wishes will not be messed up. As I read your blog I drew parallels to my own. You decided to give a wish to a good friend of yours who inspired you to reach new levels of potential and experience happiness by involving you in the one acts. My blog is all about finding that type of happiness by having the guidance of a "good friend". On another not,I must say your tips of advice will come in handy for me later. I always seem to be late to things and that quote; "early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable" puts things in order for me.
Janel G: I can totally relate with you wishing something for your grandfather. You already know some intimate details about my life that let you know that we lead very similar lives. It is totally understandably to have so much love for someone in the family and when you see them hurting you just wish you could do something about it.For you its your grandfather, for me its my grandmother and mom. It's like you said we don't wish we can do something to make ourselves sound better, we do it because we truly care.
It was a bright warm day in February, and the clocks were striking two. I slipped quickly out of school, making sure to get to my bus as quickly as possible. Walking home, I noticed something gleaming softly from the grass. I picked it up, a glass bottle. Nothing of particular interest lay within. Then, I dropped it accidently, and suddenly there materialized a wizard. Well, at first, I thought it was a homeless guy. Turns out it wasn’t. He was a wizard. He gave me an interesting proposition, the ability to give anyone anything. Of course, like any rational man would do, I immediately asked for more wishes. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t do that.
ReplyDeleteSo, I weighed my options. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. This wizard had unlimited power. There were so many opportunities. So many ideas. So many possibilities to make this world a better place. After I deliberated for a few minutes, I decided what I must do.
There, standing in my back yard, talking with some manifestation of magic, I jumped to a conclusion. I lowered my voice and said, “Pick a random child, anyone, anywhere. Equip this little child with unlimited compassion. Give them the capacity to feel what others feel, and the ability to care and love for others as they do themselves. Give them respect for their fellow man. Give them the ability to give their entire being to another human. One person, given the chance and the faculty of mind, can change the mindset of an entire nation”
I was quite satisfied with my wish. It seems I have created a miniature Buddha, or maybe a little Ghandi. However, the consequences of my demand started to flash in my head. I had completely changed the course of a young person’s life. I was playing god to this person. The book A Clockwork Orange came to mind, “when a man can no longer choose, he ceases to be a man.” The idea was grand and empathetic and while it undoubtedly helped many people, I had forever changed the course of one life. Someday, you’ll see a man or woman in the news doing incredible things for humanity. Remember, his fate may have, at one point, lain in my hands.
If someone anything that was anything like Albus Dumbledore came and spoke to me I would probably be a little star struck and then proceed to ask them what they think I should give someone. But that sort of defeats the point of my newfound power.
ReplyDeleteBut when we were in government class I remember how we could answer almost everything with “self- Interest”. I got to thinking about it and the same thing still remains pretty true today, at the root of the things we do and people do has a basis related to self- interest. So if I could give anyone anything in the world, and I’m considering society “anyone” in this case, it would be empathy. I would give society the ability to see situations through each other’s eyes. Society would be able to make more selfless decisions and to put others before themselves and in their decisions and when considering reactions.
I’m not really sure if I would be considered as part of the people who would receive this gift but like the rest of society I know I would benefit as well. But lets say I’m not a recipient, in general people would be more receptive to others ideas and I feel like it would make the world a better place, which sounds very cliché, but in all honesty it is.
A little more empathy in the world wouldn’t cause fewer arguments and it may not even make any noticeable difference in the world, but if we could understand other people’s situations we would be able to at the very least make our judgments a little more knowledgeable. At best it would save a few egos, feelings, and relationships.
She’s family. And she’s the closest thing to a sister that I will ever have. We grew up together and we’ve grown incredibly strong over the past 2 years. Why the past 2 years? Well, I’ve grown up. I’ve matured. But yet, I’m still learning. I’m learning a lot about people around me. Especially her. I can say that I understand a lot more about her now than I did when we were younger. I’ve grown up, but I can’t say that she has. My cousin’s five years older than I am. She’s 21. However in our relationship, I can’t help but feel that I’m the older cousin. She has a younger sister, and that sister feels the same way I do. Normally, having a 21 year old cousin would be cool. Especially if you’re a few years younger than they are. A 21 year old has experience in the real world. They would be someone to talk to college about or someone to get advice from. She’s not any of those things. In my eyes, and many others, she’s lived and is still living a very deprived life. I partially blame the way she is on her parents. They’ve never encouraged their children be social or taken them places to experience new things. My cousin’s never been a social person. She’s never had many friends or any friends to say the least. She’s completely dependent upon her parents. She whines and complains over childish things. Overall, she acts like a child. 21 year olds are adults. By now, she should be able to go to the doctor’s by herself without her parents. She should be able to live on her own without her parents. I feel that she’s still a 10 year old trapped in a 21 year old body. Sometimes I feel like she’s lost touch with reality. It’s sad to say that I don’t think she can make it in the real world alone. I see her living off her parents 10 years from now when she’s 31. Whenever my dad and I are in the city, we try to take her out as much as possible. Her parents sure as hell aren’t going to do anything. I’ve always wondered if she’s ever had mental problems or some mild form of autism, but I’ll probably never know. That one trip to the psychiatrist never worked out.
ReplyDeleteSo after a quite unpleasant experience she had on New Years Eve when I was nowhere to be found, she said something to me that I’ll never forget. “This experience has made me realize how much I feel close to you.” I wanted to cry. I felt so touched by her words, but I also felt sorry for her at the same time. This is why I choose my cousin as the most deserving recipient of my gift. She’s one of the only people I can be my true self around. She’s an extremely talented artist. She’s also one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. They say, “Act your age, not your shoe size.” So I think that’s the gift I want to give to her. And that’s to act her age. She doesn’t have the mental ability to do a lot of the things a 21 year old should be doing. I want her to be an independent. I want her to be socially inclined and make friends. I want her to be able to get a job she truly deserves. I want her to find her true love. I hate looking at her with pity. She deserves to live a normal life.
Given the chance to become an all mighty powerful-being, able to grant one wish to one person is a whole lot of responsibility for one person. Ultimately that wish becomes able to change the world in unexpected ways and will have a dramatic effect to the world no matter the wish. I often find myself wishing that I could wish away the problems of the world- death, famine,disease,
ReplyDeletemosquitoes; all in the name of bettering the world. However, now I would like to give just something a whole lot simpler than wishing away some common problems that everyone wants to be rid of.
What I would like to give is something so basic but so powerful. What I would like to give, most people have, however sometimes take for granted. What I would like to give is something that ultimately shapes a persons future and has a huge impact on their lives. You know what I'm talking about, you just don't realize it. This wish is with us in schools, with us in the decisions we make, with us on the phone, with us every step of our journey. I would like to give ... a "good friend" to my friend Holly.
I believe that a good friend is more important than the sea famine, more important than the atrocity of disease, more important than the horrors of death because, having a good friend in life instills an embodiment of happiness in the
soul, allowing us to forget about these quotidian issues. Having a good friend means that you have a reliable, loyal, down to earth, person in your life, that will help you travel down the path of your meant to go. A good friend helps us to realize the potential each of us have within ourselves. When a good friend is within the vicinity, we can't help but expresses feelings of happiness, we smile more, we feel as those we fit in; ultimately we feel loved.
I want to give this gift to my friend Holly because over the years I have learned of her life and the harsh realities that she faces. In addition, I would like to give her this gift because in the very beginning of our relationship (back in kindergarten) I wasn't a very good friend and as of lately I haven't felt as though I've been that good friend that she use to know, now acting as I did when I was in Kindergarten. I would love to be the redeeming “good friend” to her again.
The power of a friend is extensive. In my own experience the power of a friend helped me through some of my darkest moments (on multiple occasion) and lifted me up to some of the best emotions I have ever felt. For instance, the day I thought my own family forgot about my birthday, my friends were beside me to lift me out of that funk, and took me ice skating for the first time (where I would fall on my butt multiple occasions) and I can still remember every vivid detail of that day perfectly. I remember all the laughter being made at me as I
fell, the good spirit of competition as some of my friends raced each other, the smiles on everyones faces. With good friends everyone can experience days like this and that I believe is the greatest wish of all.
(Sorry had repost forgot who I would give the wish too, even though technically I would like to give this wish to anyone in need of it)
George- I really enjoyed reading your post. I find your thought process very interesting, I feel like it speaks to the way that many people would have responded to this post. It was very honest.
ReplyDeleteMatt- The idea that you would have been playing god in some random persons life is true. Having this gift would give each of us the opportunity to "play god". I never thought about it that way.
Dan- I feel like thats really nice of you to give your father and brother. And its really cool that you would even think to give them that. And like you and George I also felt like I should share in the gift that i gave.
Michael- Wow, that is really nice of you and I think your absolutely right, he would love it.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, my mom could not partake in my life the way a mom should. It wasn’t her fault she’s a really sick woman, i can’t really blame her for anything. She tried very hard but it just wasn’t possible for her to help me with my homework or to cook dinner for us or even do the simplest task, such as put us to bed. So, god gifted me with someone else who would take her place. Someone who (was just 3 feet tall) would help me make “super beans” ( prego mixed with kidney beans) for dinner because that was the only thing we knew how to make. Someone who would help me with my homework every night. Someone who would worry and care for me. Till this day my sister calls me at least two times a day to make sure everything is okay and give me some positive reinforcement. But lately i’ve noticed that she worries a little too much about me.
ReplyDeleteWhen she came home last weekend we were on our way to Toys R US and when we were crossing the street...she held my hand? When i wouldn’t let her she freaked and grabbed it. I love my sister and all she’s done for me, but i thought that was a little too much. Then i began noticing other things about her that also bothered me a little. Every time we get into a car she yells at me about putting my seat belt on. Every time i get my report card and sees a bad grade (surprising, not lang) she sits me down for a study session, even when i don’t need it. I am not super smart but i don’t think i need help with Spanish! Not only does she help me all the time, but nowadays she drops everything that she is doing. But i am not alone, she also does this for my other sisters. I don’t want to get in the way of her living her life.
Anyways, my gift would be to my older sister and i would give her the gift of selfishness. I want her to do so much for herself for once! I don’t want her to worry about me all of the time. Hopefully with this gift she won’t have to worry all the time about my well being. Maybe with this she can actually focus more on herself and do more for herself. She spent her entire childhood raising a family, i don’t think she realizes that we are grown and she doesn’t need to watch over us all of the time. I love my sister more than i show her, and i would hope that this gift would help her do all of those things that she didn’t or wouldn’t do because of us. I want her to know how much i have appreciated everything that she has ever done for me and my sisters. She was my mom when i needed her, my dad when he wasn’t there, my older brother because we never had one, and my role model all of the time. I think it’s time for her to do all of this for herself. But knowing her, she wouldn’t want the gift and would attempt to trade it in for something for us.
I was brought up Roman Catholic (am I allowed to tell Bunje this sort of information!? *gasp*) so therefore, I was taught from a very young age that God is real, God is almighty, God is good, etc. I was taught to believe that He will grant us anything we need, but absolutely not what we want. That’s why the idea of genies or fairies or wizards has always been so mesmerizing to me; they’re magical creatures who thrive off the want, not the need. Maybe that sounds a little corny and truth be told, it is a little corny. But, going through the past seventeen years worshiping something that I should believe is real is a lot harder than being enchanted by mystical creatures I know don’t exist, but I don’t blindly follow them. It’s all shits and giggles.
ReplyDeleteThese things have always seemed so mystifying to me because I’d always imagine the things that I’d wish for, for myself. Is that selfish? Possibly. But, unless you’re some sort of super-generous philanthropist or something, most people would imagine what they would give themselves, or what would benefit them. That’s why this blog is such a toughie for me. I’m not the most selfless person in the world, so I’ve never really given it any thought as to what I would ever grant someone, given the chance; only what someone would grant me, given the chance.
That being said, if I were able to give anyone in the world anything, I’d give my dad a steady job. For the past twenty-seven years, my dad has been working at Fortune Gypsum (hardware and drywall distributor in Egg Harbor Township off Fire Road, awesome low prices if you’re in the market!) and as of three years ago when the founder, owner, and operator lost his battle to lung cancer, business hasn’t been the same. It’s understandable – Big Joe was an amazing man. Hell, I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for him! Once he passed, all the friends of the business slowly started to fade away. The once booming entrepreneurship has dwindled into a ghost town.
In other words, my dad’s on the verge of losing his job. Our budget’s pretty tight as it is, with one less salary supporting our family, who knows what’ll happen. Sure, he can go on unemployment and sure, he can go out and get some other job, but without a college degree, he’ll never be able to make as much as he makes at Fortune. This whole ordeal has put a damper on my household. My dad’s been being nonchalant about the whole thing, making jokes, being sarcastic, etc. We all know that he’s scared but he doesn’t want to admit it, though. My mom’s ten times more stressed out with everything she has going on at work, with her parents, and now my dad’s bitching. My brother’s having a hard time grasping the whole situation (what else do expect out of a 13-year-old boy with a concussion?). Then I’ve just been trying to keep my mouth shut and keep positive, but I’m only fooling myself. It scares the CRAP out of me that if my dad loses his job, I might lose my house. I might lose my car. I might lose everything. God knows what’ll happen. Maybe I’m being overdramatic, but I’m terrified.
ReplyDeleteIf I give my dad a steady job, I give my family a peace of mind. We wouldn’t have to cut back, we wouldn’t have to lose our house, we wouldn’t have to lose our cars, we wouldn’t have to put my dad on unemployment, none of that. The cloud of stress and tension that looms over my family may finally dissipate. There would be no worry; there would be no “what ifs.” Maybe giving this to my dad isn’t the most selfless thing in the world, but it doesn’t just benefit me. It’s security and it’s satisfaction. I probably could come up with some sort of scheme to feed the world’s population or do some great humanitarian thing, but my family is what’s important to me and sometimes, there has to be priorities. It’s like that scenario with the elevator (I’m pretty sure I’ve used this analogy before, but whatever): if there are two elevators plummeting to their demise with one filled with your immediate family and the other with a thousand strangers (it’s a really big elevator), and you could only save one, which would you choose? As horrible as a person I may seem for it, I would save my family. That could be viewed as selfish, but I have my priorities and my family is one of them; which is why if I miraculously am granted this ability, I’d give my dad a steady job.
Nyameke: Okay so for some reason i always comment on your blog! So this week i tried to stay away from your blog until i was done commenting, but before i even started with my comments my computer froze on your blog and i caught a sentence and then i read the entire thing. That is so sweet! I really loved your gift, that has got to be the best gift to give your grandmother. I seriously Awedd out loud! haha
ReplyDeletePatrick: I really like your gift, i think you’re right. A good friend can help you with every problem/joy in life. Everyone needs a good friend, i don’t know what i would do without mine. Oh and by the way I think you are that friend to Holly. She used to always say really great things about you!
James: That’s so sweet! I think that is just a great gift to give to your mother. I don’t think we actually realize how much are parents sacrifice for us, and i think it’s great that you pointed that out.
Dan: I like your idea for a gift, it's not something corporeal. And it's something that I don't only think that your dad or your brother could benefit from, but the entire population of Oakcrest and beyond! Aside from the few avid readers that I know of, everyone's either on their iPhone or Xbox or WHATEVER. No one uses their free time to sit down and envelope themselves in something worthwhile. I know what I'm saying kind of defeats the purpose of the blog, but I just feel like your gift is one that would be useful to a whole slew of people!
ReplyDeletePatrick: Your post is so sweet. I completely agree with you on the whole "good friend" thing. As much as some people may vow to go their lives on their own, without any help from family or friends, it'll get lonely without at least ONE person to confide in. Everyone needs to have one person they trust completely, one person that can make them laugh and console them when they cry. Everyone needs that sort of rock in their life because we'd all go insane without that sense of comfort and friendship.
Amanda: I started tearing up during your post. I find it so incredibly sweet that out of everything you could give her, you'd give her the thing that most people take for granted. When you're deprived of something like normality, you're envious of people who want to far from normal. My little cousin (who's seven) is autistic and it's hard watching him run around with his younger brother (who's two) and have them act identical; at times the younger exhibiting more maturity. It's heartbreaking. But your post is absolutely beautiful.
So let us skip the god part. Okay let's start on the question of what I consider to be the most valuable asset or thing anyone should have. Now this might sound axiomatic for the people who know me, but if I were to give anything to anyone it would be books. Now by this I mean, all the books/records/scripts ever written (they also will contain universal scripts and alien books). This I think is bigger than knowledge bigger then lucre or any kind of currency bigger than the almighty himself.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the time factor, we could actually learn the true history, see if Jesus actually existed, and see the true motives of baleful, injurious dictators or leaders. We can dwell in the minds of the pariahs, the writers, the never-have-beens, the might-have-beens, and the should-have-beens. However there are two things that separate this from the impalpable knowledge. The first is that knowledge, when given usually, with time, becomes depraved and corrupted. Either through personal or biological motives, a person’s mind can be destroyed. It is malleable and its insouciance towards the necessities of the world is perturbing. The other thing is that knowledge cannot be transferred from one place to another tangibly and without any misunderstandings.
Thus books are the best way to empower someone. Now here comes the difficult task, to who and why him/her in particular. Now I actually do not know to whom, if I could give them to myself I would, but then wouldn't that be too cavernous and avaricious? How about I make Mark Van Doren exultant and make these books public, like a library except you can't take them out. That idea would certainly appeal to the masses, but could it be misused? However isn't everything misused? So what's the worry? Okay, for the time being I will say I will be charitable and give this cognizance to the masses.
ReplyDeleteYou may ask, "Hey Jhon why did you just give all of these books to the public? It's all going to waste." My answer will be mumbles however what I think is more important. I will give these books to the public because I trust more the masses then the individual. Now that's dwelling into my ideology, something most of you know so why bother. But yes that's what I would do; no one should have the privilege of doing something or getting something over anyone else. The advice I would give them, the public, would come from a speech given (Aeropagitica) by John Milton. "Unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book; who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself..."
To Patrick-a good friend very spiritual and it is something we all want a good friend, I don’t think it’s a necessity, sorry for being malicious in this benevolent mood, but yes its an amazing thing to have, psychologically. I would say you’re a good friend also, EXCEPT TO MIKEY BLACK, you are not a good friend to him, chocolate milk and oranges. Good post.
To matt- What a horrible thing you have done, and I think I can or will ever forgive you of what you just did, never. However I cannot fathom the contradiction that this kid must go through, he could by the end, turn insane, ohh who am I to say.
To George- well same thing, only you have a book, I have a library. Guess I broke the rules by giving it to the public. Rules are meant to be broken.
Cole: This is my weekly honorary response to someone who mentions music that I like. Your post spoke to me because, well, to be honest, I was going to write mine about Bill Gates. I hope Bill uses your gift for good.
ReplyDeleteGeorge: Dawkins spreading the word of a book that contains all the secrets of the universe seems a bit too ironic for my tastes. But, I hope there never is a book like the one you describe. If there were definite answers to the universe, what would I argue about all day?
Michael: You're truly a great friend. Also, I believe that your ideas of a gift are quite Matlack-esque considering our conversation in third period. That made me smile. Seriously, your blog post made me want that wish for Aaron. It was one of the few posts that made me want that gift to be given to that person.
Mimi: Aww your blog was so heartfelt, it really made me want to cry. I can relate to it because I only have one grandparent left. I didn’t talk about them in my blog but your gift to your grandma is something I would give to my grandpa. Your last paragraph is pretty much why I would do the same thing. My family and I are close, and I wish nothing but happiness for them.
ReplyDeleteKendall: I think it’s sweet that you love your sister and your mom so much that you couldn’t decide between the two. I seriously wish I had a sister knowing how you and Kayla are so close. But you giving your mom genuine happiness after all she’s been through, is a great choice. She’s lucky to have someone like you in her life.
Thomas: I want to burn that insurance company to the ground. Your mother doesn’t deserve any of the stuff she’s going through. Your wish is extremely thoughtful and caring.
James "No Potential Jobs in His Future" Townley: YES. Mama's Boys... UNITE! But... yeah. I thought that your blog response was very noble and thoughtful and mom-empowering. As a fellow mama's boy, I agree wholeheartedly with the gift that you would give your mom. As a matter of fact, I think that my mom could use that too. I'm actually jelly of your blog now. Oh well. Such is life.
ReplyDeleteDan: Why must you always take things to the extreme? But seriously, I thought your response was cute. I wish I could have more in common with my family because I know that they aren't detestable people and they would be good to hang out with more. Also, your blog made me realize that there are two different kinds of selfishness: the good kind and the bad kind. Your gift, in my opinion, was selfish, but it was the good selfish. Your gift would help David, but it would also help you by bringing you and your brother closer together. That is why it is a good selfishness. Selfishness would be bad if it hurts another person, so your blog response is good and just, despite being slightly selfish.
Mikey G: Do I sense Matlack quotes/ideals? I think I do. Your advice to Aaron would, as you said, apply to all occupations, and, as soon as I can drive by myself, I will match that suggestion. But for now, I have to be unacceptable and take the Forney Express (my mom and dad).
Right now I am at odds with the world.
ReplyDeleteIt has not been a very good day.
My cat has just thrown up on my bed.
And so, though I would usually go out on some philosophical tangent with this or something, I feel like this blog should reflect my mood. AND, with that in mind I will give one (1) thing to one (1) person. But I will not help anyone set any records, and I very much doubt I will make anyone happy. But to make an omelette you must, as they say, break a few eggs.
One lucky contestant will receive Pandora's Box.
'Now Schuyler!' you all may cry, 'Pandora's Box has already been opened!' Well nuts to you, I say, because this Pandora's Box is restocked and reloaded, courtesy of my tragically (I assume) well meaning wizard friend.
'But Schuyler!' you continue to cry, (and it's getting kind of annoying too, seriously), 'what will this new one do if the old one has already been opened?' Well, hey, I don't really know. Make the world TWICE as bad, maybe? But then would people be more hopeful, as well? Well, it's complicated.
Truthfully you'd probably be best bringing it up with Zeus, the expert. People still worship him, right? ... Right? Huh. Maybe he's just on vacation...?
Guess you're on your own, then.
As to who will receive my gift, well, I won't rightly pick favorites. Anyone can have it. I'll carry it around for a while, say, and the first person who shows interest in having it can keep it, free of charge. I imagine it would look good. Ornately carved, kind of thing. A real collector's item. This is my one chance, after all, to literally play god.
But who knows who'll get it, right? Maybe it will be some old man who will die in a few days and whose new box will be forever lost amongst an assortment of dusty knicknacks. Or, perhaps, it will be given to a curious, wide eyed little girl...?
But does it really matter, in the end? People are people, after all.
But, regardless of ownership, before I go bon voyage, before I turn my back on the box forever, I will clasp that person's shoulder, look them dead in the eye and give them one piece of
serious
sincere
advice:
'Don't ever open it.'
Schuyler: You're going to give the box to Amber?
ReplyDeleteWell, up in the description of what this blog post should entail, you recommended not doing this blog at 11:00p.m on Wednesday night. Well I'll have you know that i started at exactly 10:39p.m, so I'm in the clear. Also while reading the description, I saw "you can't just give your mom one million dollars." Well, I was actually going to give her a billion dollars, but I suppose that's off limits too? Come on.
ReplyDeleteIn being the selfish Garret that I am, I first thought of this blog in the thoughts that what would help ME the most? What could I do that would benefit me even though it's seemingly someone else's gift. Should I gave somebody money? An unlimited amount of wishes? I can't do that, not only is it against Bunje's unfair rules, it's against what I should morally stand by.
I knew right away when I was reading the question who my wish would go to. Despite the cliche expectations or the b.s I <3 my mom stuff, it really would go to nobody other than my mom. The situation with my mom, although it is similar to some people in this lang class, it's different than most. Not only has she played the role of mother my entire life, she's played the fatherly role for a majority of my life too. Although my dad has not officially left my life for good, he's of no help to my mom. My dad has been there neither morally nor financially for my mother. All I wish for my mother is a little help and a little less stress.
There was no doubt in my mind when reading this blog that this would likely be my wish. What seems like forever, my mom has had virtually no help, despite my step-dad's presence. Morally she's had no help, financially she's had no help, overall even the little stupid things like giving me a ride to swim, she get's no help. (shout out to Connie Capone<3) All I'd want for her is to have a little help getting by for me and my brother. Maybe a maid? A personal chef? Chauffeur maybe? Winning lottery ticket might help.
The stress factor is also important because from what I've said up there with the no help, my mom's life is filled with stress. She's even had health problems arise over the past few years just because of her excessive amounts of stress. I just want her to have time to put her feet up every once in awhile. Be able to put her sweatpants on a little earlier than usual. Maybe a spa day?
I love my mom more than anybody else in the world and for that reason plus so many more, she deserves this wish more than anybody else in my life.
Oh and is everybody proud of me? This blog post is actually a decent size for once. Shout out to my haterzzzz.
Mimi: I wanted to tell you today how beautiful I thought your post was, but I forgot to! Well then, I’ll tell you now. It’s beautiful. I think true love is the greatest gift you could bestow upon someone. Not that lovey-dovey, flirty infatuation, but that rare, passionate love that only comes around once in a lifetime (if you’re lucky). In most magical worlds, bringing someone back from the dead comes with consequences, but theoretically, your gift is one of the greatest that could ever be given.
ReplyDeleteAmber: When I read the words “you’re one of seven billion in the universe”, I had a mind-gasm. Is that an inappropriate word to use here? Oh, well. It’s accurate. We’ve had enough conversations about the idea of everything affecting everything else, and concurrently affecting nothing else, that I’m sure we both appreciate how much of a miracle life is. And being able to make someone else, anyone else, feel that same gratitude would be immeasurably satisfying.
Dom: What your post says about you, which is also the thing I love most about you, is how much love you give. I honestly don’t understand how it’s possible for one person to possess so much love. If I rewrote my blog post, and re-wished my wish, I might wish for all of the people you give your heart to, all of the people whose happiness you make your priority, to give you their hearts in turn, and to give you as much happiness as you wish upon them.
Tom: Amber is a dying old man? I was thinking more of the opposite ends of society, or Pandora herself if you read up on your Greek mythology HEM HEM. But... It's up for grabs. Think you could do with a box?
ReplyDeleteIt's free.
Schulyer- Wow, that is such a cool way to answer this blog question, considering most people did something positive for someone they love. It's pretty funny but kind of eerie all at the same time. Typical Schulyer move.
ReplyDeleteBecca- Not only is it selfless, it's completely normal and expected and there's nothing wrong with it. For the most part, everybody lives by the same motto, that family comes first. Also, there are many people in the same situation as you, including myself. Hopefully everyone gets through it.
Matt- It only takes one person to change the world, that's my belief. So, maybe the fact that you changed one person's life so drastically and gave them such an incredible power, maybe they could do more for people than you could have done with your one wish. Who knows?
Schuyler: Sure. I could always use a new box these days, the economy the way it is. I'll open it as soon as I get it.
ReplyDeleteEvery gift, no matter how well-meaning the giver may be, always has some strings attached. If we take this to be factual, the questions of a) “Who deserves a gift the most?” and b) “What should the gift be?” become much more difficult – yet mind-clearing – to answer. It is assumed that the recipient must be someone specific; “some random Ethiopian kid” would probably not suffice. Also, it’s important to take into account that the “gift” may or may not be physical. It could be anything from a puppy to a heart of gold, corporeality-wise. That being said, I probably wouldn’t want to give someone a literal heart of gold. Unless I hated them.
ReplyDeleteWould I give this gift to someone in real monetary need? Someone lonely? Someone famous? Someone close to me? Whoever it would be, I would have to be absolutely sure that they would deserve the gift more so than any other person in the world. Using any other method wouldn’t make sense, since I would want to make sure as much good came out of the gift as possible.
I wouldn’t give the gift anonymously. Whoever receives it has to know that it was Nick Murphy who bestowed upon them this treasure, and it may affect my choice of recipients if a potential choice would happen to, say, sit across from me at lunch every day.
I’ve decided: If I could give anything to anyone, right here and now (well, after I change out of my pajamas into some nicer clothes, possibly resembling those of Morgan Freeman’s God from Bruce Almighty), I would give Neil DeGrasse Tyson empirical, irrefutable evidence of life on other planets. For decades, astrophysicists like Tyson have strived to inform the public on the importance of space exploration as a benefit for humanity. If the people of the world had access to perspective-shifting information of this degree, presented by one of the most trusted minds in space science, it could (and would) change the course of history.
However, there’s always a catch. When I give Dr. Tyson his gift, I will tell him: “Tread lightly with this one. A lot of people won’t take too kindly to the thought that they aren’t the center of the universe.”
Patrick: The power of love, or even mutual respect, has the potential to be one of the most powerful driving forces in the universe. It's good to not waste it.
ReplyDeleteGeorge: Welp, great minds think alike I suppose. Dawkins is an ardent gnostic atheist; the general population probably wouldn't bother listening to what he had to say no matter how much evidence he gave. Unless he were to publish that book under a pseudonym :D
Schuyler: Keep on trucking, you evil, glorious bastard.
Tom: I'm obligated to advise you not to open it.
ReplyDeleteDan: See, this is how to use the wishes right. Also I can personally attest to the importance of reading, since I most definitely feel like I'm as intelligent as I am due in no small part to books. Either way, you're a lot more caring than I'll ever be.
George: I dunno if anyone could handle that book all at once. People are so resistant to change I feel like science inching forwards is actually a boon, since every twist and turn has to be debated by everyone.
Nick: Hm, I feel like the knowledge you gave out could've been more expansive like George's... But maybe that wouldn't work, for the exact reasons I stated. Either way, good work.
I’ve known exactly what I want to say since I’ve read this blog post. I can’t put the words together though. I fell asleep and just woke up now to do it in less than an hour. I don’t think I’ll be able to share what’s on my mind in time. Well, here goes. I’m not giving the gift to a family member or a close friend because I would do anything for them whenever. I want to give this gift to someone who really needs it. I’m not going to say their name but anyone can easily guess who I’m talking about. I’m going to give my gift to the King of Oakcrest High School.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you why I’m giving the gift to him before I tell you what it is. So, the King of Oakcrest is a Junior, and, well, I don’t think he is all there. He’s in my gym class and everyone makes fun of him; unfortunately including me. I didn’t realize how bad he is bullied until I was on his team for basketball the other day. He just tries to fit in but can’t really. He says ridiculous things and believes to be a really great person. He thinks he’s a great sports player and a ladies man. He’s far from both unfortunately. He brags a lot about all these things he’s not also. That’s what people are mean to him about. They bully him really badly. He just tries to fit in and they make fun of him.
I see this kid being pushed around by kids of all ages and he can’t help but defend himself. He doesn’t necessarily defend himself though because he doesn’t understand that they are saying these mean things to him seriously. I became really mad when I was on his team in basketball the other day. He was on the ground multiple times for fouls that went unnoticed. He would get pushed over and everyone would laugh. When we do get a point the other team gets the ball by doing a dirty check at him. They would rarely check with someone other than him. When they did, they checked normal. I became really pissed at both the other team and the King, because they were bullying him and he was brushing it off. They were being so mean!
The gift I would give to this kid is a better high school life. One where he isn’t made fun of and can be popular. He is a very popular person now, but it isn’t in a good way. He is bullied and taken advantage of. He just wants to be liked and fit in. He goes around the school calling himself fifteen cent and says he’s a famous rapper on tour. He has mix tapes that he has yet to give me. I want him to be real to everyone and be able to fit in easily. It would be awesome if he was able to be a friend to us in gym rather than a laughing stock. He doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. Nobody does. I thought bullying was long gone. I guess it’s not.
Now some advice I would give to the King of Oak is, be real. Don’t lie, don’t get cocky about making one shot in basketball and become a ball hog. Don’t let people make fun of you. Don’t give people a reason to make fun of you. I would like to help him out but it’s hard when he can’t prove that he is a cool person. I’ve tried telling my friends to cool it down but they just laugh it off. They think it’s a joke that he isn’t all there and just wants to fit in. I have so much advice I would give to this boy, but I really don’t think he will understand. It wouldn’t process through his mind. I’ve tried a little mid basketball game but he just blows it off. Hopefully things will turn out better for him someday..
Granted this morning occurs on a day I don't have school (I really hope this is the case, because I can't imagine mulling this over during school.) I would probably retreat to where I am currently sitting: the big leather couch in my living room, opposite the fireplace. I would reside there, similar to how I do now, staring off while in thought. Eventually my eyes would register the exact image they are fixated on, and my mind would inevitably wander to that. That being the sight of four lonely stockings hanging off the mantel, with Santa and Mrs. Claus figurines standing on top.
ReplyDeleteI find humor in this sight. Most families fill stockings will little presents or candy or trinkets. My family hung them and forgot about them. I can't even justify their hanging with the reason of decoration, because other than the Claus couple, no other decorations were used. They might as well have never been hung, since they were not used for their primary purpose of holding gifts.
I look up at the Santa on the mantle and wonder how many other children had empty stockings this past December. How many other children Santa "got lost" on the way to their houses. How many other children have given up on the idea of Santa, of gifts, of magic.
Thinking of these children makes me wish I could revive their faith and give life to the happiness within them. If only I could make sure that every one received some sort of gift like the holiday promises.
But wait... that ol' Wizard did give me the power to give something, but only to one person. How important can a gift be, if it only effects one person though?
Since I don't feel justified in giving something to one person, I'm going to give one person the ability to give to everyone.
I used to go to CCD, which is sort of like a Catholic Sunday-School-On-Monday class, and one year my teacher was this lady Ms. Gettings. She played guitar at 11:30 mass on Saturdays, and was the nicest person I have ever met. I remember when Christmas time came around, she was so adamant about the existence of Santa. She exclaimed her firm belief in him, and tried to convince all of us skeptical kids to believe as well. She was so defiant and animated about it, it really impressed me, and I could hardly walk out of that classroom without partially believing.
It is because of this impression that I would give Ms. Gettings the ability to assume the role as Santa Clause.
She is the only person I can guarantee would fully enjoy the occupation of solely giving. She is also such a great person that she deserves the gratitude that comes from making others happy.
Giving the ability to be Santa Claus is really the most honorable gift I can think of. As I touched on earlier, Christmas, though a hallmark holiday, really does have the potential to be an amazing thing. I love the idea of exchanging gifts, and nobody can deny the warm feeling they experience when ripping of wrapping paper to reveal something they've been dreaming about possessing. Also, it kills me to know that some people have never experienced this. Every child deserves to believe in magic, and waking up to presents that weren't there the night before, left by a loving stranger, what's more magical than that? If Santa really existed, it would exterminate a large population of unhappy, cynical, bitter people.
Knowing she is the ideal person for the job makes it difficult to think of advice to give, because I imagine she would assume the role with ease. I would definitely make sure she knows that this is not a job, but really is a gift. It is not something she should feel obligated to do, but something she should do out of joy. The second it becomes an obligation, the magic is gone, and Santa no longer exists. I would also advise her to never change, because she is such a pure and wonderful being, and her changing would also kill the pure and wonder that is Santa.
Rachel: Your response was so well written, and I love how it really was a story. The phrase "I would give her my life" is so powerful, and maybe you didn't mean it to be or maybe you did, but it has the potential to be interpreted many ways. Yeah, I just really love the story and how it's written, and the sadness within is really poetic, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteKendall: Genuine happiness is probably what I would see as the most valuable thing on earth. I love that you thought to give that. There really is no better gift, and if this wizard really did give all of us AP kids the ability to give something, I think it would be awesome of each one of us chose to give genuine happiness to one person. So many worlds would be changed for the better.
Nyamekye: Yeah, I cried. That is so loving of you, and obviously you do know and recognize the importance of it. I feel like your Grandmother would really appreciate it if she knew you wrote this. I think you should show her. That's just my opinion though.
Mikey G.: I think that is an awesome gift to give to Aaron. That gift could go to anyone. Connections are what make you successful in life. Not only will it be good for Aaron but also the people he is connected with.
ReplyDeleteDan: I would never imagine David picking up a book. That would be so cool if he read a lot. He could potentially be in our classes. Omg give the gift to him now!!
Tom: I had the most mixed emotions while reading this. I started giggling because you always say, my mom is fat. I didn't like laughing about that.. Several of my family members are overweight. My grandma, who I was originally going to write about, is overweight and has bad knee and back problems due to injuring her tailbone. She has trouble bending over and getting in and out of the car. I am going to end up writing my original blog haha. And you're right, I would miss my grandmas comfiness also.
BLOG AMNESTY #1
ReplyDeleteMoney makes people who they are. People are famous because of money, and people who have money have power. Now, this money tied to power, that creates a capitalist society. We as a country say we don't want this. We say that it's bad for the economy, and it's bad for the people. However, it's the way our country is run. We run on people that have the most money, and only people with money have a say now-a-days past elections. That's why my "gift" to someone isn't to a specific someone, just someone a little less fortunate. I would give any well-educated but lower class citizen the gift of power in the country. Not necessarily the government, but the power to allow people to listen to his or her ideas.
See, the other day, I was watching this movie in French class. God I hate french class. Anyway, so we were watching this movie and there was this little dude that was super intelligent, but he grew up on a slave field. He had a minor education, but only what he was given. It was crazy how smart this kid was though, like he knew his stuff. He had really great intentions too, he was just an all around great kid. Too bad he grew up on a slave field though. This kid was lucky, he got a scholarship and was able to get out. However, a lot of people are just like him, but don't get his opportunity because they are stuck on the slave field and no one listens to them. So many people out in the country and the world right now have incredible ideas, and i think it would be worth-while to just let one person speak their mind without the influence of government or hollywood. That could start an enormous movement worldwide.
So yes, I would give someone that doesn't really get the time of day from anyone a chance to speak up and be heard. People have great ideas all around you, take a listen, it could change your life. You don't have to listen to the lying politicians or the hollywood fakes all the time, you can branch off and listen to someone not in the spotlight once in a while. It could help make this country and the world a better place.