Thursday, October 18, 2012

Ariana Spagna - Service Analysis 10/18



            We try to run our lives with, as smoothly as possible and with as few speed bumps as we can, however, we seem to confront obstacles everyday.  In order for us to thrive as the human beings we were set out to be, our world needs stability, and unity.  The reason why we have all of these social issues, relationship issues, and economical issues, and political issues, is because there is not enough stability in the world.  The typical working person on an average day encounters so much hustle bustle, that they do not have time to focus on the little things that really matter in life.  They are constantly absorbed in their daily routine; they cannot focus on the things that also require much attention.  This attention must also be given towards your family, friends, relationships, work etc.  If we create a manageable balance between these priorities, the world and yourself will generally become a better place.  Without this stability, there will be no progression in the world and we will just keep heading backwards.
            Spending my past Monday at the Acts4Youth program at Guilford Elementary for a few hours, I figured it would be a typical Monday as always; seeing the kids running in lot doing athletic training, throwing footballs, wrestling each other a bit, then do homework, eat dinner, and be done with the day.  Yet this Monday was not what I expected it to be.  Because of the rain, the athletic training was cancelled and the kids were in their classrooms.  I went to my designated classroom and saw that the majority of the boys were playing UNO, laughing and having a great time.  Then I saw a few boys, who I usually work with, sitting at a table of five, doing some math problems.  I sat with the boys and questioned them as to why they weren’t playing the card game with the other boys.  They told me that they wanted to do their homework so they could have the time to play at home and spend time with their families.  Hearing this answer from them actually amazed me, because these fifth grade boys were spending their recess doing homework, because they wanted to make time for their things to do at home.  When I was in fifth grade I didn’t have any conception of balancing time and realizing how important that may be.  The idea of stability is stressed in the classroom, along with many other important life traits, but seeing these boys put this to use so efficiently and productively, made me so proud of them.  They already knew that this quality was extremely imperative to their lives and this sincerely amazed me.
            In the poem Formula, by Langston Hughes, he discusses his view on poetry.  He compares poetry to a bird, in a way, which makes much sense.  A bird flies, flapping its wings, soaring through the air.  Every time I look up in the sky and see a bird, I sometimes think how tranquil and easy life must be for them.  Everything always seems so free – flowing and not having a care in the world.  Poetry, in comparison is the same as the life of a bird.  Poetry allows us to express thoughts on paper that we may not be comfortable sharing with others.  Poetry can have rhyming, but sometimes there does not need to be such structure, which is the beauty of it.  Langston Hughes believes that poetry should be a therapeutic way for us to disconnect from the chaos and heal us from our unstable lifestyle.  I also find that many people read poetry, because it brings a sense of calmness and ease, which is what most of us need after a long day of craziness, but we have a hard time making time for.
            In Langston Hughes’ other poem, Old Walt, he talks about the inspirational people in his life, which made him decide to write.  He describes how Walt Whitman is seeking to find something.  This can be taken in many different ways, but I take it as a way when someone says that they are trying to find themselves.  This poem relates to the essence of stability in a unique way, because every single person in the world has a main goal of finding himself or herself, whether they realize it or not.  Some may not think of this, but in order for you to become you, you must find the person that makes you, you.  Without allowing ourselves time to find the things that describe us, we will have no true identity.  In order to find time for figuring out who we are, we need to create a stable lifestyle to achieve that.
            In the first half of the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main character Victor, goes through some rough times.  Victor later had a moment and realized what he wanted to do in his life.  He was forever in his room working on a project that would be his ultimate creation.  He put his mind, body, and soul; into everything he was doing, contributing to this product, trying to make it its complete best.  Not realizing what no sleep, eating, constant darkness, could do to him, he nearly died.  He was so warped in this necessity of creating something so divine, that he didn’t take care of himself and nearly found himself on his death bed.  Victor made no time for the other things in his life and even stopped writing to his family that he loved and whom loved him ever so dearly.  This shows the problem of instability in Victor’s life, because he didn’t allow himself to do anything else, but strictly focus on his creation. 
            After finding the comparison between all of these works and time of service, I have realized that if you do not take the time to figure out what important parts of your life are missing, you will forever be unstable. I know it is extremely difficult to find time for everything, but if you find a little extra time for certain things, you will find yourself to be an overall better person and have a much more successful lifestyle.

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