A Memoir

I remember the grass as it blew upon the windy hilltop. The sun was shining, casting a warm glow upon the surroundings. The sun shining made everything seam so much brighter, both literally and figuratively. It always had done. I sat with her upon the windy hilltop, where she smiled at me. It was just a smile, and yet it was so much more. It seemed to communicate so many things I could not put into words, even if I'd wanted too. And I didn't. It meant so much more when it was left unsaid. And upon that hill we sat, not speaking, simply coexisting until the sun was setting in the western sky. Years later, I still come back to that hilltop with her, though I never went back. I recall it so vividly, although the details seam to slip away a little more each day. Some day I may return to that hilltop, though I doubt it will be the same without her there. Until the day I return however, I'm already there. 

Class Thus Far (Part Two)

I would like to reflect for a moment upon 'The Great Gatsby', a book that I found to be a very rewarding read. Gatsby's story struck a chord with me, not because I've had similar experiences to him per-say, but because I found the overall message relevant as both an American and as and individual. Gatsby's steadfast devotion to his dreams ultimately led to his death. But I do not believe the moral of the story was not to pursue one's dreams. I think rather, that the message was to choose wisely when to pursue one's dreams, and when to move on. Gatsby believed so firmly in the past that he did not even realize the past had gone. He had continued searching for something that had ceased to exist a very long time ago. In the end, this realization wreaked havoc with him emotionally. Whether he would have been able to recover or not, it is hard to say. We will never know for certain, as he was never given the chance. Gatsby's folly is one we see quite often in our own lives, when we adhere to something with such diligence that we do not even notice when it has gone. I feel that the Great Gatsby is first and foremost a novel about moving on. The economic themes aside, Gatsby is about what can happen, both emotionally and physically when one doesn't move on.

The Evolution of Language

Language is constantly changing and evolving. This is a consistent occurrence, when a word that was previously considered slang begins to enter the common vernacular. More than ever, slang that is associated with poorer urban areas of America is coming to prominence. Evolution of language is much like the evolution of a species, it is a slow process. Our parents spoke quite similarly to how we did, although there are certain words they would use that we do not, and vice-versa. Language is constantly changing, new words being introduced and old ones being cast out. A powerful example is to look at the language of Shakespeare, or Old English. Much of it sounds foreign to modern ears, and the reverse would be true as well. Language has changed gradually, over time to reflect new trends and ideas, and it will continue to do so. Documents from this period in history will gain more and more mystique until our descendants are scarcely able to read them. It is quite likely that many languages will cease to exist in the future, being accumulated into other languages or simply wiped out all together. These outcomes are other potential results of evolution. 

Response to 'Red Sky in the Morning'

It's amazing how a simple realization can alter your perception of someone almost completely. Especially a person for whom you've felt a certain amount of animosity towards for quite awhile. While someone's actions may seem inexcusable to you at one point in time, oftentimes more information can change the way you think about something. It is quite often easier to live with a misconception of someone than the truth. The truth can quite often be painful, whereas a misconception is convenient. You can shape it any way you so choose. The truth forces you to look at things in a different light, something that is naturally difficult for us to do. It is so much easier to use our lens of experience to judge everyone else. What we must learn is that we cannot do this. Everyone has a diverse background, a different way of looking at the world, a different lens as it were. While this in itself is a truth I had excepted for some time, I really had not begun to live by it until this summer. That was when I learned that a person for whom I cared about very much would not be with us much longer. This cast a whole new light upon a year's worth of experiences. I understood now the reason for this individual's dark moods, and the times he would yell. I could not even begin to understand how oppressive the doctor's sentence must have seemed to him. He would often confide in me when I was younger about the things he still wished to do with his life. He would smile when he finished and say "Someday, Ian." But last year, he realized someday wasn't coming. But eventually, the darkness had passed. He was still dying, nothing would change that, but he had resolved not to let it ruin what remained of his life. He began to smile again. And best of all, he began to live. Because none of will live forever. "He not busy born is busy dying" the immortal bard Bob Dylan once sang, and how true those words ring. Life is sweet, and oh so short. I realized that this summer. If you allow the sadness to overwhelm you, it's not really living any more.