Why do we push college on our kids? I think this is a valid question. First let me clarify why I ask it. I recently came across a statistic that said that nearly 60% of college graduates were working in fields unrelated to their degree. That made me wonder why they had to have a degree in the first place. The more I looked into it, the more I began to realize that we have been scammed.
I am not saying there aren't jobs that require a degree, a doctor or an architect are two that come to mind quickly. I would hate to go into surgery and have my doctor show me his high school diploma and say, "let's get cuttin'." It just isn't happening. I also don't think I would want to walk into a high rise designed by a guy whose credentials include, "I lived in one once," and no degree. But for a lot of the other jobs out there, you just have to wonder. Then there is the trusting the university thing. I find it increasingly difficult to trust a university that tells me that in order to get an engineering degree I need to take 4 hours of elective courses. Let me point out that these are 4 credit hours of courses that in no way aid you in your field of study. It should also be noted that most elective courses taken are 1 credit hour each and cost close to $500 these days. In other words, the university wants you to add $2000 of useless credits to your degree for unspecified reasons. What if your mechanic told you that you had to rechrome your wheels in order to complete your oil change? I think we would all end up going to a different mechanic. So why do we let a university do the same thing? Because we want the name of the university on our diploma because it sounds impressive.
Let me clear the air here. I do not have a college degree, nor will I ever have one. I spent 20 years in the military getting experience in my field. If that means that someone beats me out of a job based solely on the basis of a degree, so be it.
We have been feeding the lie of college to our kids for so long; we have begun to believe it ourselves. We send them off to college and tell them to follow their dreams. They do that and get their degrees only to find that there is no job for those degrees in the field they love. Why? Because no one bothered to also tell them that a degree in photography is only worth something if your father happens to own a publishing company and you are at the top of your field. Congratulations, you just spent $100k on a piece of paper to hang on your wall so you can look at it on your way to you minimum wage job. Yet, having a degree is a must today. We need to start teaching our high school students what the job market is really like. Or what jobs require a specific degree and what jobs prefer experience. Instead we tell them go to college.
It used to be that a degree is what made a candidate stand out. It used to be just getting into college was a big deal. These days, if you have a pulse and an ability to fill out forms (most colleges will have someone help you with that), you can get into a college somewhere. Here, fill out this form for financial aid, this form for grants, this form for you student loans, this form for waivers for your grades, and this form to choose your classes. Congratulations, you are now going to college. Sure there are a few colleges that are still selective in who they allow to attend, but they are in the minority. Most colleges just look at filling all their classes to make sure that they can pay their bills.
Let me restate that I understand there are some fields that a degree is a must and I wholly support those degrees, but when a job lists "degree or experience" or just degree as a need without any clarifiers, it makes you wonder just what the degree is needed for. I would think that if any degree is good enough because it shows dedication, that working for 2 years while involved in sports and graduating with decent grades from high school would be enough as well. Then again, what do I know, I never went to college.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Showing posts with label words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label words. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Defining success in a round about way.
I know I eluded to a well written article that would incorporate facts and figures and be neat and concise. I know that is what I promised. This obviously isn't it. I am still gathering data and looking into the post I eluded to, but it may take longer than expected. It isn't that there isn't a wealth of data, in fact, quite the opposite, there is almost to much. But that is not the point of this post.
As I sat here doing research and surfing the internet (more of the latter than the former I am embarrassed to admit), my mind started wandering as it tends to do and I got to thinking about human successes and how they are achieved. I realized that worthwhile successes either come about through sheer luck (miracles if you lean that way) or hard work and perseverance. We have no control over the sheer luck aspect and, let's face it, if you are waiting for sheer luck to bring you success, then you will be waiting a while. In fact, I would wager that, usually, when sheer luck strikes, the success has been worked toward and was accomplished through the sheer luck. What do I mean? Simply put, while experimenting (the hard work) an inventor discovers something unrelated to what he was working on (the success).
So what am I getting at, you ask. Simply this, in order to succeed, you have to go against your human nature. Human nature is to find the easy way out. Human nature says, I want the reward, but don't make me ask for it. You have to go outside of what it is you want to do and go further. Think on it. Was there anything that you wanted, worked for and got? Wasn't that thing more cherished and celebrated than the thing you were given for free?
I admit, I am lazy and really don't want to go outside of myself. I don't like doing extra work and tend to wait until the last minute to do many things. The fact is, that my biggest achievements and the things I remember the most, are those things that I went after and clung to tenaciously to achieve. Those things that I was able to concentrate on and do to the best of my ability and hold up as what I could do. It was those successes that I like to look on. The stuff I got lucky with, I really don't remember (that may also be because I don't get lucky to often).
Ask yourself this, am I waiting on luck, or chasing success? The first does nothing, the second gets you there. The funny thing is, when you chase success, you may not end up where you thought you were headed. The great thing about that is that the new place may be better than where you thought you wanted to go.
I am not talking about monetary success alone. Whatever it is you want success at requires effort. If you want a long and successful marriage, you have to work at it. You can't just sit back and let it happen, you'll end up with a roommate instead of a spouse. If you want your kids to grow up right and happy, you have to work at it. You have to discipline them, teach them, and spend time with them. If you sit on the couch and ignore them, they become the kids you complain about at the store. You get the picture. If you are living life under the assumption that you deserve something because of who you are for no effort, then you need to reevaluate your life. People who believe that have a name, spoiled brats. If you define yourself by the success of others (Do you know who my daddy is?; I work for ___), then you are a nobody.
I may have ranted and gone off the dep end a bit here, but there is a worthwhile point. Your successes define you. I hope that people can recognize me as a good husband and father and that that is how they define me. I don't want who I am to be defined as a good sailor or a good inspector and nothing else. Don't get me wrong, I would appreciate those definitions, but the definition I strive for is great husband and father. How are you defined? How do you want to be defined? Do they match? If not, why not? What can you do to make it happen?
That's all for today. Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
As I sat here doing research and surfing the internet (more of the latter than the former I am embarrassed to admit), my mind started wandering as it tends to do and I got to thinking about human successes and how they are achieved. I realized that worthwhile successes either come about through sheer luck (miracles if you lean that way) or hard work and perseverance. We have no control over the sheer luck aspect and, let's face it, if you are waiting for sheer luck to bring you success, then you will be waiting a while. In fact, I would wager that, usually, when sheer luck strikes, the success has been worked toward and was accomplished through the sheer luck. What do I mean? Simply put, while experimenting (the hard work) an inventor discovers something unrelated to what he was working on (the success).
So what am I getting at, you ask. Simply this, in order to succeed, you have to go against your human nature. Human nature is to find the easy way out. Human nature says, I want the reward, but don't make me ask for it. You have to go outside of what it is you want to do and go further. Think on it. Was there anything that you wanted, worked for and got? Wasn't that thing more cherished and celebrated than the thing you were given for free?
I admit, I am lazy and really don't want to go outside of myself. I don't like doing extra work and tend to wait until the last minute to do many things. The fact is, that my biggest achievements and the things I remember the most, are those things that I went after and clung to tenaciously to achieve. Those things that I was able to concentrate on and do to the best of my ability and hold up as what I could do. It was those successes that I like to look on. The stuff I got lucky with, I really don't remember (that may also be because I don't get lucky to often).
Ask yourself this, am I waiting on luck, or chasing success? The first does nothing, the second gets you there. The funny thing is, when you chase success, you may not end up where you thought you were headed. The great thing about that is that the new place may be better than where you thought you wanted to go.
I am not talking about monetary success alone. Whatever it is you want success at requires effort. If you want a long and successful marriage, you have to work at it. You can't just sit back and let it happen, you'll end up with a roommate instead of a spouse. If you want your kids to grow up right and happy, you have to work at it. You have to discipline them, teach them, and spend time with them. If you sit on the couch and ignore them, they become the kids you complain about at the store. You get the picture. If you are living life under the assumption that you deserve something because of who you are for no effort, then you need to reevaluate your life. People who believe that have a name, spoiled brats. If you define yourself by the success of others (Do you know who my daddy is?; I work for ___), then you are a nobody.
I may have ranted and gone off the dep end a bit here, but there is a worthwhile point. Your successes define you. I hope that people can recognize me as a good husband and father and that that is how they define me. I don't want who I am to be defined as a good sailor or a good inspector and nothing else. Don't get me wrong, I would appreciate those definitions, but the definition I strive for is great husband and father. How are you defined? How do you want to be defined? Do they match? If not, why not? What can you do to make it happen?
That's all for today. Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Things to come.
This is just a short post to let you know where I am headed with all this. I have decided that my next post will be on a topic that has been bothering me for a while. I am not going to reveal it until I am done with the research and have figured out what I am going to write. Just know that I am doing the research and that it will be a bit more fact laden than usual. The down side of this is that I may not complete it this week, and with school next week, that means that it could be the following week before I post again.
No, I will not be posting next week as will be in class. I have enjoyed posting regularly for you, but I have come to the realization that the quality has been beginning to slip. Thus, I have decided to opt for quality over quantity. I will try and give you a time line for each post, but they will not be as often. Thank you for regularly reading my blog, I just felt that it was time to step up what I was writing.
Thank you for reading, and as always, have a great day.
No, I will not be posting next week as will be in class. I have enjoyed posting regularly for you, but I have come to the realization that the quality has been beginning to slip. Thus, I have decided to opt for quality over quantity. I will try and give you a time line for each post, but they will not be as often. Thank you for regularly reading my blog, I just felt that it was time to step up what I was writing.
Thank you for reading, and as always, have a great day.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
My America, How I love her.
As this is the last post of the week due to the holiday, I felt that I should write on what this country means to me. Although I believe that John Wayne did it better (look up his "America, Why I love her), I will try my best to put my feelings on her into words we can all agree with (or at least not get angry over).
America, to me, is a country that means freedom. This, by itself, is not enough to make her great or enamor me to her. No, America draws me home for so many more reasons. While its lands are vast and its sights awe inspiring, it is her way of life that keeps bringing me back. Oh, we have our problems, but, then, who doesn't? We pride ourselves in our freedoms. Freedoms that few countries truly have. Freedom to say what we will about our government and debate its merits or pitfalls openly and without fear. Freedom to worship or not as we see fit. Freedom to choose how we spend our lives.
America has been called the land of opportunity, and rightly so. This doesn't mean it is given to you and you are guaranteed success, only that you have the freedom to chase your dream as hard as you want. If you decide it is to hard and you don't want to pursue it it is your choice, no one can, or is allowed to, make that decision for you. Yet, you also have the freedom to go where you wish within this nation to chase your dreams. So many come here, not because life is easier, but because it is freer.
America is not perfect, no land where humans lives ever will be, but it is a place you can call home. The American dream is to own our own chunk of land. A parcel we can call our own and use as we will. We are granted the ability to not just vote, but to write to and speak with those we vote for. We are allowed to see our government in operation and the freedom to at least read what it does. While we may not agree on what has been done or will be done, we have the freedom to debate it.
Why do I love America? She is the mother of freedom and the guiding light of democracy. Though that light may dim at times and freedoms may falter, the light always returns to shine brighter and the freedoms return to stand stronger. When endangered she rises up and stands together, her light shining brighter than the sun and bringing even those who are unhappy with her to her call. She leads where others dare not tread and stands where others would fall.
America is a nation of passion. We share what we are passionate about freely, without fear. We are granted the ability to follow our beliefs where and how we will. We are allowed to share those beliefs freely and invite others in. Thank God for that freedom.
In closing, I believe I can sum this up by simply saying that America is a land where we get to be who we choose to be, how we choose to be, when we choose to be, and where we choose to be. It is all a matter of personal choice, a choice we are free to make. God bless America. Have a great Independence Day!
Thanks for reading and, as always, thanks for reading.
America, to me, is a country that means freedom. This, by itself, is not enough to make her great or enamor me to her. No, America draws me home for so many more reasons. While its lands are vast and its sights awe inspiring, it is her way of life that keeps bringing me back. Oh, we have our problems, but, then, who doesn't? We pride ourselves in our freedoms. Freedoms that few countries truly have. Freedom to say what we will about our government and debate its merits or pitfalls openly and without fear. Freedom to worship or not as we see fit. Freedom to choose how we spend our lives.
America has been called the land of opportunity, and rightly so. This doesn't mean it is given to you and you are guaranteed success, only that you have the freedom to chase your dream as hard as you want. If you decide it is to hard and you don't want to pursue it it is your choice, no one can, or is allowed to, make that decision for you. Yet, you also have the freedom to go where you wish within this nation to chase your dreams. So many come here, not because life is easier, but because it is freer.
America is not perfect, no land where humans lives ever will be, but it is a place you can call home. The American dream is to own our own chunk of land. A parcel we can call our own and use as we will. We are granted the ability to not just vote, but to write to and speak with those we vote for. We are allowed to see our government in operation and the freedom to at least read what it does. While we may not agree on what has been done or will be done, we have the freedom to debate it.
Why do I love America? She is the mother of freedom and the guiding light of democracy. Though that light may dim at times and freedoms may falter, the light always returns to shine brighter and the freedoms return to stand stronger. When endangered she rises up and stands together, her light shining brighter than the sun and bringing even those who are unhappy with her to her call. She leads where others dare not tread and stands where others would fall.
America is a nation of passion. We share what we are passionate about freely, without fear. We are granted the ability to follow our beliefs where and how we will. We are allowed to share those beliefs freely and invite others in. Thank God for that freedom.
In closing, I believe I can sum this up by simply saying that America is a land where we get to be who we choose to be, how we choose to be, when we choose to be, and where we choose to be. It is all a matter of personal choice, a choice we are free to make. God bless America. Have a great Independence Day!
Thanks for reading and, as always, thanks for reading.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
What was I typing? Or ahfalswgljkhdsa
I've been told that I am weird. My response is always the same. What's your point? I know it, my family knows it, my friends know it, and now you do to. Actually, anyone who has read any post of mine knows it. I have a tendancy to overstate stuff, go off the deep end, and just plain ramble. I can't help it, it just happens. I'll start typing and the words just flow out. Sometimes they make sense and others, well, not so much. What it all comes down to is the simple filling of white space. Sometimes that is all my blog is. I fill the white space on the screen with words and sometimes coherent thought (although that tends to happen less often than I would like).
As you've probably guessed by now, today's post isn't really about anything. Thoday is one of those random thoughts days. The kind of day where even I don't fully understand the point of the post or even what I am going to type next. My philosophy is to just go with it and see what happens. Kind of like taking a shotgun target shooting. You save time by tearing up targets with fewer shots than someone with, say,a .22. Not to mention the boom is slightly more satisfying. But I digress, then again, I really haven't had a point from the begining, which I guess is the point so I have been on point and I am confusing myself.
Wow, just wow. If you can figure out where I am going with this, please leave it in the comments because I am lost. I think that since I have lost control of this post in a major way, I will stop writing before it gets any more out of hand. Let me leave you with a final thought (or a first one depending on how you read the post). Not all is as it seems. What? You were expecting something deep and witty? Did you not read the rest of the post? Sorry, I didn't mean to fail to live up to your expectations.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
As you've probably guessed by now, today's post isn't really about anything. Thoday is one of those random thoughts days. The kind of day where even I don't fully understand the point of the post or even what I am going to type next. My philosophy is to just go with it and see what happens. Kind of like taking a shotgun target shooting. You save time by tearing up targets with fewer shots than someone with, say,a .22. Not to mention the boom is slightly more satisfying. But I digress, then again, I really haven't had a point from the begining, which I guess is the point so I have been on point and I am confusing myself.
Wow, just wow. If you can figure out where I am going with this, please leave it in the comments because I am lost. I think that since I have lost control of this post in a major way, I will stop writing before it gets any more out of hand. Let me leave you with a final thought (or a first one depending on how you read the post). Not all is as it seems. What? You were expecting something deep and witty? Did you not read the rest of the post? Sorry, I didn't mean to fail to live up to your expectations.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Another answer: What does God mean to me.
I am stuck again. I really have no idea what to write today. I started to write a few things but they degraded into useless rants filled with supposition and unfounded opinion, which is something I just can't support. So I think for today, I will post another answer for my sons. Yes, I know, I'm taking the easy way out. But my head hurts and I can't think straight for some wierd reason. Anyway, Here it is.
5-1 What does God mean to you?
God means, for lack of a better word, everything. He is a comfort when I am hurt, a guiding light when I am lost, and a friend when I am alone. He is a ready ear when news is good, a breath of life when all is said and done. He is always ready to listen and willing to forgive even when we think we are beyond forgiveness. He is hope in the deepest canyon, light in the darkest night, and strength when I am weakest. He is the first one we should turn to when we have, well, anything. We should thank him when things are good, ask for his help when things are not so good, and trust in his guidance.
Sure, some of this sounds as though I am just spouting what is taught in church and in various devotionals, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Granted, I sometimes lose sight of this and who it is we stand for, but he always welcomes me back. When he forgives me, he lets it go and chooses to ignore it. He guides me when I need it, sometimes with a gentle nudge and other times with a not so gentle beat down, but never more than I need or can handle. He allows me the freedom to choose what path I take, but still keeps me in his hands. He cares for me and all I do and knows me better than I know myself.
God is the only one I love more than my wife. He is first in all I do, and when he isn’t, due to my selfish (human) nature, he waits patiently for my return. And I do return, I can’t help it, I am addicted to him. He draws me in and feeds me with his presence. There are times when I forget to fill myself on his presence and it is noticeable. I become irritable and hard to be around. I am selfish and want only what I want. And it isn’t long before I ache for him to refill me.
I am his and he is mine. He gave me more than I could ever repay. I could go on and on, but there are some things you just have to discover for yourself. God’s awe inspiring presence is one of those things.
What does God mean to me? Love, Forgiveness, Grace, Mercy, and Peace, above all, peace that’s what God means to me.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
An Apology, a solution, and a loving wife.
After rereading yesterday's post, I realize that I owe a huge apology to my wife. I allowed anger to cloud my judgement on what I posted and it was wrong. The way I posted it makes it sound as though my wife is evil, coniving and self centered. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The disagreement we had was based solely on mutual misunderstanding and was solved to both of our satisfaction. We have since made up and have moved on (at least until my wife reads yesterdays post and I have to apologize all over again, which I will do when I get home). I made a mistake and will deal with it when I get home. It should also be noted here, that as of this post, my wife has not read yesterday's post and thus may not know of what was written. Thus this apology is not prompted by arguements or otherwise. I am sorry, dear, I will speak to you on this when I get home.
I was going to add on to this post a seperate commentary on an unrelated matter, but realized it would muddy the waters and possibly dilute the first part. So I will end today's post with this. Men, just because you feel wronged (even if you weren't) is no erason to air it publicly. In a loving relationship, who is right has no bearing on the outcome. Solutions are the goal of every conversation (and argument) between you and your wife. It doesn't matter who was right (and, by proxy, who was wrong) only that you solve your problems and move forward. To dwell on the mistakes of others is to live with the results and mess of those mistakes rather than to correct them. The longer you point fingers, the longer it takes to find a solution and move on. I could keep spouting cliches, but you get the picture. I didn't until last night. Thank you to my lovely wife for pointing me in the right direction (again).
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
I was going to add on to this post a seperate commentary on an unrelated matter, but realized it would muddy the waters and possibly dilute the first part. So I will end today's post with this. Men, just because you feel wronged (even if you weren't) is no erason to air it publicly. In a loving relationship, who is right has no bearing on the outcome. Solutions are the goal of every conversation (and argument) between you and your wife. It doesn't matter who was right (and, by proxy, who was wrong) only that you solve your problems and move forward. To dwell on the mistakes of others is to live with the results and mess of those mistakes rather than to correct them. The longer you point fingers, the longer it takes to find a solution and move on. I could keep spouting cliches, but you get the picture. I didn't until last night. Thank you to my lovely wife for pointing me in the right direction (again).
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Monday, June 25, 2012
The art of being right.
Let me begin by apologizing for not posting last week. I got shifted to swing shift on short notice Monday and was not up to posting. This means I need to catch you up on what happened last week. It began with the Septic guys showing up to finish the job. Some time the preceding Friday, the inspector showed up and okayed it. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent removing the rocks, trash, and clumps of old grass from the dirt in preparation for seeding. Thursday, we actually seeded the lawn. Now we just have to wait for it to grow. Luckily we have spare seed if we need it.
The fun didn't really start until Friday night. First I need to give you the lead up. About a week or so ago, my mother in law (great woman, not a battle axe, but a wonderful woman) called and asked if it would be OK to come out in July. She also wanted to bring out our neice with her. We said sure, we really don't have much planned for July. So Friday night we get a call and she says, would Monday be OK. The wife says sure. If you note, it is Monday, most definitely not July, and, yes, she is arriving this morning, 15 year old Niece in tow. I should point out here that she is welcome and we are glad to have her. I have no problem with her visiting on short notice. The problem I had was with my wife. We have discussed it and we have since come to a reasonable solution (I am wrong, she is right and that is that, at least that was how it ended).
You see, about 4 weeks ago, I volunteered to help out at my church's fireworks stand. We discussed what times would be best and settled on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon as that was what worked around our schedules. She also had a dinner with friends scheduled for Saturday evening. The problem came when I reminded her of our prior commitments for this weekend as she started trying to plan things to do with her mom that the conflict arose. Apparantly, she was against the times I scheduled from the beginning and I chose those times on my own. Thus, it is my fault that she can't plan a great weekend with her mom. Apparantly, I should have known that she was against me working those days even when she agreed to them and scheduled my time volunteering for during the week. Thankfully we got it worked out that I was wrong so we can move on.
Quick note, men, if you end an argument with your wife and you were right, you may want to check back and make sure you actually have a bed to sleep in. I'm not saying women are vindictive and always right because that would get me in trouble. I am just warning you that if your wife ever tells you you are right, you had better make sure that you are in fact right and that whatever it is you are right about is not something that will come back to haunt you. Just saying.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
The fun didn't really start until Friday night. First I need to give you the lead up. About a week or so ago, my mother in law (great woman, not a battle axe, but a wonderful woman) called and asked if it would be OK to come out in July. She also wanted to bring out our neice with her. We said sure, we really don't have much planned for July. So Friday night we get a call and she says, would Monday be OK. The wife says sure. If you note, it is Monday, most definitely not July, and, yes, she is arriving this morning, 15 year old Niece in tow. I should point out here that she is welcome and we are glad to have her. I have no problem with her visiting on short notice. The problem I had was with my wife. We have discussed it and we have since come to a reasonable solution (I am wrong, she is right and that is that, at least that was how it ended).
You see, about 4 weeks ago, I volunteered to help out at my church's fireworks stand. We discussed what times would be best and settled on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon as that was what worked around our schedules. She also had a dinner with friends scheduled for Saturday evening. The problem came when I reminded her of our prior commitments for this weekend as she started trying to plan things to do with her mom that the conflict arose. Apparantly, she was against the times I scheduled from the beginning and I chose those times on my own. Thus, it is my fault that she can't plan a great weekend with her mom. Apparantly, I should have known that she was against me working those days even when she agreed to them and scheduled my time volunteering for during the week. Thankfully we got it worked out that I was wrong so we can move on.
Quick note, men, if you end an argument with your wife and you were right, you may want to check back and make sure you actually have a bed to sleep in. I'm not saying women are vindictive and always right because that would get me in trouble. I am just warning you that if your wife ever tells you you are right, you had better make sure that you are in fact right and that whatever it is you are right about is not something that will come back to haunt you. Just saying.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Lost my mind, please return if found
Things are so off for me right now, that I have no clue what to write. It isn't as if there is a lot going on, just that I have no idea what actually is happening. Take the septic work, for instance. The system is installed but it hasn't been inspected. The inspection could happen today, tomorrow, or maybe next week. Then they have to finish filling in the holes, level the ground and get their machinery out of the way. It is definitely, possibly getting done this week. Maybe. In other words, sometime this month...hopefully.
As you can tell, I am not exactly centered today. My mind is trying to go several different directions and I am not even sure where a few of them lead. All I know is that it isn't helping me write this. If I were to hold down the period key each time my mind wondered, this post would be several pages by now. The really sad part is, I have no idea where it wanders off to. All I know is that I stare at the screen for a minute with nothing going on and then I can continue to write. I think that this means that I need to stop writing today's post so that I can stare off without the pressure of trying to figure out where I was just at.
By the way, if you see my mind out and about with out its body, or vice versa for that matter, please send them home, I would appreciate it.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
As you can tell, I am not exactly centered today. My mind is trying to go several different directions and I am not even sure where a few of them lead. All I know is that it isn't helping me write this. If I were to hold down the period key each time my mind wondered, this post would be several pages by now. The really sad part is, I have no idea where it wanders off to. All I know is that I stare at the screen for a minute with nothing going on and then I can continue to write. I think that this means that I need to stop writing today's post so that I can stare off without the pressure of trying to figure out where I was just at.
By the way, if you see my mind out and about with out its body, or vice versa for that matter, please send them home, I would appreciate it.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What does race have to do with it?
So my turn on graves is winding down. This has been, well, not a lot of fun. As sad as it is, it seems I have finally become accustomed to this shift. I actually sleep until three in the afternoon. Not that I feel rested. All the same, I will be glad to be off this shift. I have, however added a bit more to my story because I have had the time. If you want, check the link to the right.
I have had a few thoughts running through my head for a while and I think I would like to share them. Those of you I have talked with regularly may have heard some of these, to the rest of you this will be new. These are my thoughts on "racism" in America. Why did I put it in quotes? Not because I don't believe there is racism, but because I believe we make it a bigger problem than we ought to. Think about it. How many nations out there feel it is necessary to list race in any story not involving a white person? How many countries out there ask for race on surveys, tests, and as a measure of diversity? The fact is, that most nations don't. America leads the world in this. Think about it. How many people refer to themselves as African-Englishmen? How about Latino-french? The fact is, that no matter how much we celebrate our diversity, we encourage racism by the very labels we use.
Think of it like this. You go to work and you are labeled as a male/female-American day in and day out. Does this indicate diversity, discrimination, or simply labeling? The fact is, it is a form of discrimination. We label things so that we can categorize them. If we were to drop the extra part and just label everyone American, we would find that a lot of the discriminatory practices would go away. I am not saying racism would be eliminated, but it would certainly be on the back burner. If you eliminated all references to race, sex, religion, etc. that are used to discriminate, the only thing left is who that person is. That means that you are hired or not for who you are. When you go into a job expecting to be treated a certain way because of some label you have, you are propagating that stereotype. When you decide that you will accept the label someone else has placed on you or on another, you are propagating discrimination. The only way to reduce discrimination is to minimize the labels which breed it.
Note that I am not saying that you should not be proud of your heritage or that you should deny what you are. I am simply saying that by using extraneous labels to define people by how they appear or were born, we condone discrimination. Don't believe me? Watch the news and TV. Tally up the number of times a black man/woman is described as African-American versus the number of times they are referred to by name. I am not talking about descriptions of suspects, that is one where you can't really avoid it as it is part of an identifiable trait. I am referring to stories where the race of the person involved really has no bearing other than as to highlight/disprove stereotypical traits. You will be surprised. For instance a story about a successful business man might read something like "John Smith donated 100 hours of community service." This is how it should read in all instances. Yet when a non white man is involved, it suddenly reads, "John Smith, an African American success story, donated 100 hours of community service." By comparing the 2 sentences you find a contrast so startling, you should be offended. Is the first John Smith less successful? Is it so amazing that an African-American can be successful? Unfortunately, we are trained from an early point that this is how it should be.
If we are not allowed to discriminate in business, why are we allowed to discriminate in the press? The funny thing is, I have been castigated and called out for these views. I have been told that I am minimizing the importance of the minorities by saying these things. I have been called a racist jerk for saying that race has no part in how we describe people daily. Yes, I am white. But does it really matter? Is what I wrote any less true because of it. Or did you just read the parts that said African-American and from that decide that I was racist? Let's drop the unnecessary labels and just be Americans.
Well, that wasn't a Christmas post, but I felt it needed to be said. Thank you for reading and, as always, have a nice day.
I have had a few thoughts running through my head for a while and I think I would like to share them. Those of you I have talked with regularly may have heard some of these, to the rest of you this will be new. These are my thoughts on "racism" in America. Why did I put it in quotes? Not because I don't believe there is racism, but because I believe we make it a bigger problem than we ought to. Think about it. How many nations out there feel it is necessary to list race in any story not involving a white person? How many countries out there ask for race on surveys, tests, and as a measure of diversity? The fact is, that most nations don't. America leads the world in this. Think about it. How many people refer to themselves as African-Englishmen? How about Latino-french? The fact is, that no matter how much we celebrate our diversity, we encourage racism by the very labels we use.
Think of it like this. You go to work and you are labeled as a male/female-American day in and day out. Does this indicate diversity, discrimination, or simply labeling? The fact is, it is a form of discrimination. We label things so that we can categorize them. If we were to drop the extra part and just label everyone American, we would find that a lot of the discriminatory practices would go away. I am not saying racism would be eliminated, but it would certainly be on the back burner. If you eliminated all references to race, sex, religion, etc. that are used to discriminate, the only thing left is who that person is. That means that you are hired or not for who you are. When you go into a job expecting to be treated a certain way because of some label you have, you are propagating that stereotype. When you decide that you will accept the label someone else has placed on you or on another, you are propagating discrimination. The only way to reduce discrimination is to minimize the labels which breed it.
Note that I am not saying that you should not be proud of your heritage or that you should deny what you are. I am simply saying that by using extraneous labels to define people by how they appear or were born, we condone discrimination. Don't believe me? Watch the news and TV. Tally up the number of times a black man/woman is described as African-American versus the number of times they are referred to by name. I am not talking about descriptions of suspects, that is one where you can't really avoid it as it is part of an identifiable trait. I am referring to stories where the race of the person involved really has no bearing other than as to highlight/disprove stereotypical traits. You will be surprised. For instance a story about a successful business man might read something like "John Smith donated 100 hours of community service." This is how it should read in all instances. Yet when a non white man is involved, it suddenly reads, "John Smith, an African American success story, donated 100 hours of community service." By comparing the 2 sentences you find a contrast so startling, you should be offended. Is the first John Smith less successful? Is it so amazing that an African-American can be successful? Unfortunately, we are trained from an early point that this is how it should be.
If we are not allowed to discriminate in business, why are we allowed to discriminate in the press? The funny thing is, I have been castigated and called out for these views. I have been told that I am minimizing the importance of the minorities by saying these things. I have been called a racist jerk for saying that race has no part in how we describe people daily. Yes, I am white. But does it really matter? Is what I wrote any less true because of it. Or did you just read the parts that said African-American and from that decide that I was racist? Let's drop the unnecessary labels and just be Americans.
Well, that wasn't a Christmas post, but I felt it needed to be said. Thank you for reading and, as always, have a nice day.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Read the comments.
Every morning, I read the news on the Internet. Some of the stories I read because they are new and interesting. Some I read because they are continuations of what I have already read. But no matter which one I read, I always look at the comments. I probably shouldn't, because it just convinces me that there are a lot of idiots out there. Some people say things that aren't true to get rises out of people (recognized by the way they repeat whatever comment got the worst rating before theirs or by stating the exact opposite of the most liked comment). Some comments are actually thought out and coherent. These are the comments I tend to pay the most attention to as they are the ones that reveal the underlying beliefs of society. Try it sometime, you may find yourself amazed at just how much our society has declined.
Take the recent ruling by a judge here in Washington. The ruling was that the names of the people who signed the petition to put the issue of gay rights on the ballot should be released to the public. The arguments for and against were heated. Those for the release cited that you signed at your own risk and thus had no protection. That they had the right to avoid doing business with those that signed it. They also said that this didn't constitute harassment or vengeance as it was just a part of the free market. Those against the release of names cited the harassment that would result from the release of names. It amazes me that we can redefine things to meet our narrow views of the world. Granted, I have done this myself, but I also corrected myself when the truth was pointed out to me. How can you say that choosing not to do business with someone as a result of a petition they signed is not retaliation for signing the petition, is beyond me. It is a scare tactic. If you don't sign on the line for the community watch and agree to pay for it, we will ensure you don't get business. That is a felony as it is a protection racket. How is that different from saying that because you signed that petition, I will make sure that no one does business with you? It isn't and yet it is being touted as just the price of a free market. Amazing isn't it.
Looking back at what I wrote, I realized I just gave you a second installment of Manic Monday by accident. Sorry, But I had to say it. Have a great day and don't let it get to you.
Take the recent ruling by a judge here in Washington. The ruling was that the names of the people who signed the petition to put the issue of gay rights on the ballot should be released to the public. The arguments for and against were heated. Those for the release cited that you signed at your own risk and thus had no protection. That they had the right to avoid doing business with those that signed it. They also said that this didn't constitute harassment or vengeance as it was just a part of the free market. Those against the release of names cited the harassment that would result from the release of names. It amazes me that we can redefine things to meet our narrow views of the world. Granted, I have done this myself, but I also corrected myself when the truth was pointed out to me. How can you say that choosing not to do business with someone as a result of a petition they signed is not retaliation for signing the petition, is beyond me. It is a scare tactic. If you don't sign on the line for the community watch and agree to pay for it, we will ensure you don't get business. That is a felony as it is a protection racket. How is that different from saying that because you signed that petition, I will make sure that no one does business with you? It isn't and yet it is being touted as just the price of a free market. Amazing isn't it.
Looking back at what I wrote, I realized I just gave you a second installment of Manic Monday by accident. Sorry, But I had to say it. Have a great day and don't let it get to you.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday Philosopher: Words and the Like
Today is going to be weird. I can feel it. For some unknown reason I ache and an feeling funny. Then as I sat here at my desk, one of my lens pops out of my glasses and I hear the screw bounce on the desk. I look down and the screw is just sitting there. Luckily I had a spare pair of glasses (my safety glasses) in my bag. I went to the tool room and they had the right tool and I was able to repair my glasses. The amazing thing is the fact that, not only did I not lose the screw, I was able to get it repaired quickly and without a hassle. If that weren't enough, I have a CO's call this afternoon and then my brother in law, Joe, is arriving this afternoon from Boise, ID. Both my wife and I are at a complete loss as to what we are having for meals the next two days (we can't seem to agree on what day we are doing what or how). In other words, it is pretty much a normal weekend, confusion, last minute planning, and general frustration abound. That being said, I am looking forward to the weekend. It should be interesting with soccer games and my brother in Law's visit.
Now for the meat of today's post. There are some things we leave unsaid that really need to be said. Things like: "I love you," to your spouse and children. "Thank you," to anyone and everyone who does something for you, even if it is their job. "You're welcome," to thank yous both said and unsaid. "I care," to those we care for. "Come back when you get the chance," to those we say good bye to. Sometimes the unsaid needs to be said, just because it validates a thought. Sometimes it needs said because those hearing really need to hear it. Sometimes it needs to be said because some of us are dense and don't take hints to well. And sometimes it needs to be said just because it is the right thing to do.
Then there is the other side of this. Things that are said that really shouldn't be. Things like: "You're dumb," to anyone. You can replace dumb with any negative adjective (i.e. stupid, worthless, ugly, etc). "You were an accident," to your children. "Shut up," to anyone. The list could go on, but you get the idea.
Words are powerful. The right words at the right time can uplift and brighten a day, while the wrong words can destroy a life. The right words can illuminate a darkened path, while the wrong words can blind us from the truth. Unmeant words, spoken often enough, lose their meaning, while meant words unspoken never have any meaning. Untrue words spoken often enough, can reveal the truth, while true words spoken not at all become lost.
Words are how we share who we are and what we desire. They reveal our nature to those who hear them. They bare our souls to those around us. While our silence can speak volumes, it can be just a few words that remove the mystery of us. It has been said, "It is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt." Truer words have never been spoken, for it is through our words that we reveal the most.
While actions can speak quite loudly, a whispered phrase spoken uncaring can put the lie to those actions. We are all human and thus opinionated and subject to error. To provide another quote I found profound, "Everyone has a right to their opinion, but not all opinions are right." An opinion is just that, an opinion. It is how we see life. It is how we interpret the world around us. Otherwise, it is either a truth, or a lie. Truth is something supported by evidence. Truth can be a basis for an opinion or the revelation of a fact. You cannot argue truth, for it simply is. A lie, though, is the antithesis of truth. While the truth can destroy a lie, lies can never displace truth. A lie is meant to deceive, and it can, for a while, but it will eventually be revealed as such. The idea that truth is subjective is as ludicrous as saying a lie could be truth. A truth is just that, true. To believe otherwise is to hold nothing as true.
I realize that this maybe a heavy thought for a Friday morning, but it is what it is. There is no underlying reason for this post. No one hurt me, nor did I hurt anyone that I am aware of (at least no one that I haven't made it right with already). I just felt I had to share what was on my heart. I guess this is in response to several comments on the news stories I read today. Conspiracy theories, hateful posts, and the like always seem to upset me. Sorry if I came across as accusatory or self righteous, I did not mean to be either.
Have a great day and weekend. I will write again on Monday. As always, feel free to comment or suggest topics you wish me write on. Thank you.
Now for the meat of today's post. There are some things we leave unsaid that really need to be said. Things like: "I love you," to your spouse and children. "Thank you," to anyone and everyone who does something for you, even if it is their job. "You're welcome," to thank yous both said and unsaid. "I care," to those we care for. "Come back when you get the chance," to those we say good bye to. Sometimes the unsaid needs to be said, just because it validates a thought. Sometimes it needs said because those hearing really need to hear it. Sometimes it needs to be said because some of us are dense and don't take hints to well. And sometimes it needs to be said just because it is the right thing to do.
Then there is the other side of this. Things that are said that really shouldn't be. Things like: "You're dumb," to anyone. You can replace dumb with any negative adjective (i.e. stupid, worthless, ugly, etc). "You were an accident," to your children. "Shut up," to anyone. The list could go on, but you get the idea.
Words are powerful. The right words at the right time can uplift and brighten a day, while the wrong words can destroy a life. The right words can illuminate a darkened path, while the wrong words can blind us from the truth. Unmeant words, spoken often enough, lose their meaning, while meant words unspoken never have any meaning. Untrue words spoken often enough, can reveal the truth, while true words spoken not at all become lost.
Words are how we share who we are and what we desire. They reveal our nature to those who hear them. They bare our souls to those around us. While our silence can speak volumes, it can be just a few words that remove the mystery of us. It has been said, "It is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt." Truer words have never been spoken, for it is through our words that we reveal the most.
While actions can speak quite loudly, a whispered phrase spoken uncaring can put the lie to those actions. We are all human and thus opinionated and subject to error. To provide another quote I found profound, "Everyone has a right to their opinion, but not all opinions are right." An opinion is just that, an opinion. It is how we see life. It is how we interpret the world around us. Otherwise, it is either a truth, or a lie. Truth is something supported by evidence. Truth can be a basis for an opinion or the revelation of a fact. You cannot argue truth, for it simply is. A lie, though, is the antithesis of truth. While the truth can destroy a lie, lies can never displace truth. A lie is meant to deceive, and it can, for a while, but it will eventually be revealed as such. The idea that truth is subjective is as ludicrous as saying a lie could be truth. A truth is just that, true. To believe otherwise is to hold nothing as true.
I realize that this maybe a heavy thought for a Friday morning, but it is what it is. There is no underlying reason for this post. No one hurt me, nor did I hurt anyone that I am aware of (at least no one that I haven't made it right with already). I just felt I had to share what was on my heart. I guess this is in response to several comments on the news stories I read today. Conspiracy theories, hateful posts, and the like always seem to upset me. Sorry if I came across as accusatory or self righteous, I did not mean to be either.
Have a great day and weekend. I will write again on Monday. As always, feel free to comment or suggest topics you wish me write on. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)