A Smile that Could Take on the World

     Looking at this photo of me and Uncle Mark, I realize how times have changed- how I have changed. At 20 1/2 months old I was bright-eyes and naive. I had no idea what the world had in store for me. I had no idea the things people were capable of. To me the world was merely a space meant for exploration. There were no limits. There was no pain. The world was full of nothing but happiness. But times have changed. My eyes are not as blue, my hair is a darker brown, and I haven't seen my Uncle Mark in many years. Now I know the horrible things that people are capable of. I know that there are limits- limits to the places you can go, limits to the knowledge you can have, and limits to the things you can achieve. But most of all I've learned that the world is full of pain, sorrow, disappointment, and (sometimes) happiness. Regardless, one part of this picture still reigns true today: my smile. Knowing all of the horrors this world has to offer I still manage to maintain that smile. That smile that reveals an optimistic outlook on the world, even in times of sadness. That smile that makes you recall a happier time, and reminds you that there are more to come. Through all these years I have managed to hold onto that part of me, and I hope to never lose that. Because "the knowledge gained through [this photograph] will always be [one] of sentimentalism", (Sontag) it is invaluable to me. Looking at this photo will always remind me who I was, and give me the resolve to keep that optimistic outlook on life.

Growing Up in a World Full of Hate

     When I entered elementary school I learned a lot of new words, words I hadn't heard before. In my innocent little mind I thought words like "shut up" and "stupid" were curse words. But when I came to school and met all the other kids I learned a whole new vocabulary. Thirty kids all blending their vocabularies together; I was bound to learn a few new words. Little did I know that my vocabulary was just beginning to grow. As I grew up and expanded my horizons to new people, I learned that there is so much hateful language in this world. Each day I witness countless forms of aggression- whether it be micro-aggression or just plain hate. This aggression can be caused by many different things. Many people blame what they say on being upset, as if being upset gives them the right to say whatever they please. This fallacious idea makes aggression seem a solution to problems, but it is the exact opposite of that. No matter what the root of this aggression is, it is never the best option. Maya Angelou once said, “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” Just as fighting fire with fire is ridiculous, fighting hate with hate is just as pointless. So, why do we create all this hateful language? Furthermore, why do we continue to use this hateful language? My best guess it that it's because that's what we learn in this world-not love, but hate. 

Our Government, Our Protectors.

In Terry Tempest Williams' essay, "The Clan of One-Breasted Women," she brings to light the idiocracy of the American government. She tells her families story and how their lives were changed because of the American government. Williams recounts the many family members she lost due to breast cancer, caused by the bomb testing done near her home. The government knew what they were doing could have detrimental consequences, but continued their tests, claiming that the area was “virtually uninhabited desert terrain.”

                Although this (the government lying to and putting citizens lives at risk) seems like an issue left long in the past, 1989 to be exact, it is not. Something eerily similar and just as saddening occurred just one year ago in Flint, Michigan, the Flint Water Crisis. Last year, the city of Flint was devastated to find out that their water was contaminated, and could cause many health issues. Many cities rallied behind Flint and helped them, until the government could do something to permanently ensure their water was safe and clean. Little did they know that the government was the exact reason they were in this mess.  The government realized that the water in Flint contained more than the legal amount of lead. However, to bring the pipes up to code would cost $100 per day. Instead of paying this slight fee, the government overlooked the issue at the expense of the lives of the Flint residents.

                This deceit by the American government is all too common. To them, we are “sheep. Dead sheep.”

A Night to Remember

Walking into the reception hall I glance around. All the girls look like they have spent countless hours preparing for tonight, after all you only go to prom once. Each girl has their hair, make up, even their nails done. As I make my way to my seat I find myself momentarily mesmerized by all the beautiful dresses. Each one is different, unique. I glance around the room again and see my friend. I make my way over there, still taking everything in. As I reach my friend, we both gasp, amazed at how beautiful the other one looks. We chat for a moment, bragging about who did our hair and where we got our dresses. I excuse myself and walk back to my table, feeling confident. When I arrive they are bringing out the first course of the meal. I look around to see who I will be eating dinner with, making polite conversation as I do. The other two girls and I exchange compliments, and the boys are quick to follow. I look around at the boys, wanting to compliment them and include them in our conversation more. But I quickly realize that there is a reason I hadn't taken notice of the boys outfits before- they are all wearing nearly the same thing. The only real difference in their outfits are the color of their ties, maybe their shirts if they're feeling adventurous that evening. But, overall, "the men's styles were unmarked". Looking around one last time, I knew that people would be talking about which girl wore this and which one wore that for weeks to come, but by tomorrow noone would remember which guy wore which black suit.

Girls Workout Too

     I walk into the room and am immediately taken aback; it smells like body odor mixed with the bit of cologne left over from the morning spritz. The smell alone is enough to make a girl turn around and walk right back out the door. But, if by some miracle you can make it past all that, you are met with, possibly, a more obnoxious issue: the boys themselves. Before I am even five feet into the room, all the boys have stopped working out and have turned to me. All eyes are on me as if they have never seen a girl workout before. I awkwardly make my way to the exercise bike, aware that they are still watching. I see some of the boys whisper to their 'buddies', but I act like I don't notice. Instead, I smile at them and put my earbuds in. "Working out is my biggest hobby … I just zone out," (Zac Efron). For the next half hour I don't even think about the boys, I just do what I came to do: workout. When I'm finally done, I take out my earbuds and make my way for the door. Just as I am walking out one of the boys calls out to me, saying something about my body-but I just keep walking. A minute later a boy says to his friend, "Thank god she's gone, I hate when girls come in here. It's not like they actually want to workout." At that moment I silently vowed to come back whenever possible, if only to prove myself to that one boy. That sure was an eye opening experience, who knew the workout room at Troy High was so sexist?

Tradition Reimagined

      Marriage means, by definition, the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. Nowhere in this definition does it say that one must have a huge reception, or that one must spend thousands of dollars on one night, or even that one must be married in a church. Why then, are people judged so harshly when they get married at an in-n-out wedding place in Vegas? The answer is simple: social standards. Society tells us that we must all follow the age old tradition associated with marriage. Tradition states that you be married in a church, the couple be of opposite sex, the bride be wearing a long white dress with a beautifully stitched veil, and the venue be filled with countless friends, family members, and coworkers you barely tolerate. However, society is changing, and these traditions are quick to follow. Nowadays the couple does not necessarily have to be a man and a woman. In addition, wedding dresses are becoming bolder each year. Likewise, you can get married on a beach, in your backyard, or even in a Taco Bell. After all, who would want that four course meal at the reception when you could have a $4 bean burrito and a Baja Blast Freeze, on the house? All these changes to tradition have been allowed, if not happily accepted. So, how come getting married in Vegas is still considered so 'trashy' and 'impulsive'? Perhaps it is because of the belief "that there is no "time" in Las Vegas, no night and no day and no past and no future," (Didion). Or, maybe it's because of the popular saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." It could even be the fact that Vegas just has that reputation. Regardless, marriage is not defined by where you get married, or by how long the ceremony is, or even by how much you spend on the whole ordeal. The only aspect of a wedding that truly matters is the love between the bride and groom.

 Waking up in Vegas by Katy Perry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pUaogoX5o

 

 

 

My Morning Ritual

                Each morning my alarm clock rings at 5:20 am. I groggily wake up, check my phone and get out of bed. The next step in my morning ritual is to make a fruit salad, after all I want to maintain a nice figure. After eating it's off to the bathroom for the most important part: putting on my face for the day. Foundation, concealer, highlight, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, chapstick. I have to cover every little imperfection, lest someone see the real me. Once my face is made, I have to deal with an even bigger challenge: my hair. Fifteen minutes later and my uncontrollable hair is burned pin-straight. Last but certainly not least is my outfit, after all, all eyes are on me right? Now I'm ready to face my friends.

                Wow, I never realized how ridiculous my morning routine, or ritual if you will, truly is. However, Horace Miner reveals just how narcissistic Americans are. Miner writes, "The focus of this [ritual activity] is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people." When I initially read this I completely disagreed, until I took a moment to reflect on my morning ritual. After thinking about it I realized that the majority of my morning is devoted to trying to make myself look different, to make myself look better. Miner really calls to attention an issue that never occurred to me before: why do we go through this ridiculous, extensive ritual each day? Maybe because our appearance contributes to our ethos. In our society the ones who receive the most attention are the ones who appear the most attractive, the most put together. After all, we all follow this ritualistic mindset. As far as we are concerned, the way we look is what is most important. Most cultures would call this narcissistic, or at the very least self-centered, but for us that's just being an American.

Actions Speak Louder than Words

           "Yell to start," is what my Father would tell me, screaming across the empty soccer field. He liked to let me think I had an advantage, but I never did. As soon as I yelled, "start", I started running, full speed towards the goal, towards my father. As I ran, I felt the wind whipping the hair about. I felt the grass underneath my cleats, helping me to grip the ground , that way I wouldn't stumble. But, most of all I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins just as I approached the goal. At the last second I had to choose my corner, this would decided if I made the goal or not. With the goal line in sight I picked my corner and let the ball fly, confident I had scored. But of course my dad blocked it; I always had to miss.

            This was the relationship I had with my Father, a.k.a my coach. My whole childhood I wanted to impress my dad, and the way to do that was through soccer, his sport. As Brad Manning stated, "His words were physical." Not that he never said he loved me, but I think we connected more when we were playing soccer. He would constantly practice with me, tell me what I was doing wrong, and push me to be better. With every comment, I felt closer to him. Maybe he didn't leave me notes in my lunch bag, but that's okay. "Our communication was physical, and that is why we did things like [play soccer]."

They're just like us

            All my life I have been exposed to people with disabilities. In fact, my younger cousin has a disability; he's autistic. Regardless, it never occurred to me that there was anything wrong with him, probably because there isn't. Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't see it this way. Countless times I have heard people make comments about people with disabilities. I even hear some people making fun of people with disabilities, as if they chose to be that way. Having a disability isn't a choice, if anything it's a test. People with disabilities inherently have a more challenging time doing just about anything than people who don't have a disability. However, it isn't the disability that keeps them from doing different things, it's the stereotype they have. Just like Nancy Mairs wrote in Disability, "It’s not about a woman who happens to be physically disabled; it's about physical disability and the determining factor of a woman's existence." For people with disabilities, the possibilities aren't endless. After all, the very definition of the word disability, as defined by dictionary.com, suggests that having a disability creates limits: a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities.

            Recently I have been getting more involved in activities meant to help people with disabilities. There are numerous events held for disabled people that are meant to help them experience normal activities. In fact, I recently went to a dance held for people with disabilities. Being at an event like this was truly eye opening. Going to this dance helped me to bond with other kids who are just like my cousin. Talking to other kids with disabilities helped me to get to know them, looking beyond their disability. These kids have the same interests as me: they play games, eat pizza, play with their pets, even complain about school. People say that kids with disabilities are different, some even say weird. But how can you say that when you don't know them? When all you know is that they have a disability? But, how does having a disability affect your personality? It doesn't. Maybe we look down upon people with disabilities because it makes us feel powerful. Maybe we do it because it helps us to deal with the fear that at any moment we could become just like them? Maybe we just do it because that's what society tells us to do?

Here is a podcast I made with my cousin about disabilities:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3_Tlawl9DToVzd5bGpNYWVQeWZfTXZHVG9BY1FYaWJLT00w/view?usp=sharing

Never Stop Dreaming

      I remember being a kid, when everything was a dream. I dreamed out my entire life. I would grow up to be an actress, I would have six kids, a wonderful husband, a mansion, and a purple sports car. Pretty unrealistic right? Now maybe, but when I was seven years old, anything was possible to me. In fact the bigger the dream, the better it was. But I guess as you grow up reality has to set in. Now, I don't aim to be an actress, I want to be a lawyer. I hope I'll have a wonderful husband, but I'll settle for three kids, it's a little more manageable than six. And I think I’ll trade in my mansion and purple sports car for a cute two story house in the suburbs and a nice soccer mom van. This is my new dream. I still like to entice myself by dreaming up unrealistic futures for myself in which I'm living my childhood dreams out, but like I said, at some point you must grow up. Times change and people change, sometimes your dreams must too. However, Beneatha from A Raisin in the Sun refuses to accept this. She wants to be a doctor in a world in which women don't do that. After all, "It's not every day a woman decides to be a doctor," (A Raisin in the Sun). Beneatha refuses to accept this stereotype and tries to pursue her dream, even if she is ridiculed for doing it. So which way is right? Altering your childhood fantasies so they become realistic, or refusing to let go of your dreams? Maybe they both are. After all, C.S. Lewis once said,"You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." 

57 Songs about dreams: https://spinditty.com/playlists/Songs-About-Dreams-and-Dreaming

Is wealth beneficial or detrimental?

     In my opinion, wealth isn't really beneficial to people. In fact, I think it's more detrimental than beneficial. Now, before I come off sounding crazy, let me explain myself. 

     In The Great Gatsby, the entire novel is characterized by wealth. Who can you marry? Someone who is high up on the social change, and has lots of money of course. How does Gatsby plan to impress Daisy? By throwing extravagant parties to show everyone, especially her, just how much money he had. And Myrtle? She doesn't have an affair with someone who is poor, oh no, she has an affair with Tom who is clearly higher class than her husband, Mr. Wilson.   All their decisions are motivated by their desire for one thing: wealth. These people put wealth before everything else in their lives, and in each case it eventually leads to their downfall. 

      As for the detrimental effects of wealth in The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, I think it’s safe to say that each characters life was severely altered due to the wealth of the Washington family. The sisters, for instance, were merely fools who were kept so out of the loop of the rest of the world that they weren't even aware that slavery had been abolished ages ago. And Mr. Washington, well his wealth led him to the conclusion that he was almighty, he even believed he could bribe God. This platonic conception of himself and his wealth that Mr. Washington holds soon leads to his, as well as his wife and son's, death. 

     So, if you ask me, wealth only leads to destruction and devastation. Bob Marley once said, "The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively," and I couldn't agree more.

 

My Favorite Passage

       My favorite passage from the Great Gatsby is on page 125, paragraph 2. It starts with a rather passive aggressive statement. Fitzgerald writes, "There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind," (125). But he does not stop there. Fitzgerald goes on to explain how Tom's "simple mind" is becoming "confused". And this "confusion" is cause by, of course, two women: Daisy and Myrtle Wilson. He refers to them, not by name, but simple as "His wife and his mistress," (125). This, coupled with the exclamation that they were "slipping from his control," gives the impression that they belong to him.

       This paragraph also discusses the motif of speed. Fitzgerald writes, "Instinct made him step on the accelerator with the double purpose of overtaking Daisy and leaving Wilson behind," (125). This supports the claim that speeding makes people feel more in control of their lives. In this passage Tom is attempting to run away from the issues that he has created. He is simply trying to regain some of the control that he has lost. But of course you cannot simply run away from a difficult situation. This is shown by the last sentence of the paragraph, where "Form meets content," (Valentino). This sentence is clearly a run on and could have easily been broken up, but Fitzgerald keeps it as a run on because it symbolizes the fact that the struggle in Tom's mind is not over. This passage very clearly touches on multiple key points of the novel, and that is why I chose to blog about it. 

Why do we lie?

       Why do we feel the need to make things up? To make ourselves seem like people we are not? To tell 'little white lies'? To be honest I don't believe there's a simple answer to this question. As hard as it is to admit, most of us are probably almost as bad as Jordan Baker when it comes to telling the truth. On page 57, Nick tells about a time that Jordan lied. He writes, "When we were on a house-party together up in Warwick, she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down, and then lied about it." This is one of the multiple examples Nick gives that support his claim that Jordan is a liar. In this case, she is lying about something that isn't even a big deal, but rather a simple mistake. However, for some reason she feels the need to lie about it. This happens still today. Although everyone knows that it is wrong to lie, many do it anyway. Some people don't even realize that they are lying, they are simply "incurably dishonest," (Fitzgerald 58). However, most people avoid telling exaggerated lies that heavily impact the lives of others. Instead, people tend to 'bend' the truth to make it seem as if everything is going the way they want it to. People tend to tell stories that enhance the image that others have of them, often by changing a couple minor details. This accusation isn't to say that everyone is "incurably dishonest," (Fitzgerald 58) or even that everyone has ever lied. This is just to say that often times people find it easier to tell a small lie, rather than suffer the embarrassment that may accompany the truth. But as to why we feel the need to do this, there is no exact answer. The best answer I could come up with is that we do it to protect ourselves. We 'bend' the truth to ensure that our images and reputations aren't damaged as a result of something minor. 

Is Society Truly Against Rape?

     Rape is one of the most difficult and uncomfortable topics to talk about. Unfortunately, rape is a key event in the novel The Bluest Eye. Pecola is raped twice by her father, which causes her to have a mental breakdown. But when Pecola tells her mother what happened, she doesn't care. Morrison wrote, "So that's why you didn't tell her about the second time? She wouldn't have believed me then either," (200). This quote is taken from a conversation that Pecola is having with herself; she is clearly traumatized by what happened to her. And the depressing fact is that this same thing happens still today. Millions of people are raped each day-and most fail to report the assault. You might wonder why they don't report it, why they don't try to get justice for themselves. The answer is simply the same as the one Pecola gave to herself- "[they] wouldn't have believed me then either," (200). In fact, 54% of rapes are never even reported (Huffington Post). And why would you when rape victims are constantly being blamed for being assaulted? Or being judged because of something they never wanted to happen? In The Bluest Eye, this is exactly what happens. The others in the town look down upon Pecola because of something that was out of her control. Today, even if you managed to get your story heard, there's no guarantee the investigation would ever be completed. In 2009, 11,000 untested rape kits were found in evidence boxes in Detroit, (mlive.com). These victims never even got a chance for justice. Since then, a law has been passed that requires these tests to be tested within two weeks of a victim coming forward, (mlive). As a society it is clear that we are making progress, but we have so much more to do before we can ever say-truthfully- that we, as a society, are wholeheartedly against rape. There is a clear need for quicker and more substantial changes in the society we live in today. 

Beautiful Irony

        In 2014 2.8 million teens had one or more major episodes of depression (Teenhelp.com). Sorry to start off this post with such a sad fact, but depression is one illness that doesn't get nearly enough attention. Depression is all too common among teens and adults. In fact it's the most common mental illness in the United States (Teenhelp.com). And why is that? The answer is simple and right in front of everyone-technology. Or to be more specific, the beauty standards that technology allows people to share each day. Depression is an issue that was relevant in the 1900's and still is today. Pecola struggled with hating herself because of how she looked, much like teens do today. It's impossible to go on Facebook and not see a beautiful model staring back at you- practically judging you as you sit on your phone instead of working out like you promised yourself you would. Or maybe you prefer a magazine because paper can't judge you, or can it? You grab a copy of the latest Cosmopolitan and the first thing you see is an article for working out-everyone's tweeting about it. It's basically telling you, "Don't be the only lazy one, learn to love your body-all you have to do is change it."

         

     

How are you supposed to learn to love yourself when everything around you says you aren't good enough? One song by Pink, Don't Let Me Get Me, explains this feeling  perfectly, "LA told me, you'll be a pop star, all you have to change is everything you are. Tired of being compared to damn Britney Spears, She's so pretty, that just ain't me." Society tells you to love who you are, but creates standards of beauty that are so unreasonable even a "pop star" can't achieve them. Depression is caused by any number of things, but the most relevant is the feeling of being unworthy. The feeling of looking in the mirror and just hating what you see. And I can almost guarantee that everyone has had that feeling at least once before. But why? Why do we look in the mirror and judge ourselves so harshly? Because society says that if you don't fit specific and ridiculous standards- you can't be pretty. So when we look in the mirror, all we see is ugliness. The irony of society is beautiful. "Love your body- The 15-min workout everyone's tweeting about." Society wonders why everyone is depressed, maybe if it looked in the mirror it would understand.

"Don't Let Me Get Me" by Pink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_t9AA3Z4PE

Pretty vs. Beautiful

                In writing this blog post I really wanted to dig deeper into the topic that Morrison writes about in The Bluest Eye: beauty. Ever since I was little I heard the words pretty and beautiful used, almost interchangeably, to describe different women. While I do understand that sometimes these words are used to describe men, more often than not they are directed towards women. When I was a little girl my mom would always tell me I was, "beautiful inside and out." As a kid I never really understood what this meant, to be honest I thought she was just telling me I was pretty.  So when I sat down to write this post I decided I wanted to figure out just what these words meant, naturally I googled it. The first result to show up was: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKTZAsDVkzs . After watching this video, I realized that beautiful and pretty are not interchangeable. I found that to be pretty most nearly means to look like the beauty standards set forth by society. However, one of the women in the video said: "[Beauty] is something that comes from the inside out, it's a combination of who I am and what I bring to the table." This really made me consider what I believed to be the definition of beauty. The next video I found was one in which blind people talked about the meaning of beauty to them (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlcx_q8u_YI). This video truly made me think of things from a different point of view. I started to think, every girl in school doesn't like the same guy and vice versa. So that means that "beauty [truly] is in the eye of the beholder." In the video one of the men said that he believed beauty to be experiences. To me this video was very powerful because it really illuminated the idea that beauty is not just looks. After watching these videos I understand that although we live in a society where being pretty is practically essential, when it really comes down to it beauty is what's most important. Being pretty may make you the 'it girl' in high school, but without a kind heart the 'real' world will be a cold, unforgiving place.

Some music videos I found relevant to this topic:

Sierra by Maddie and Tae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imgXC-rD52g

This song explores the fact that being pretty can only get you so far in life.

Pretty Girl Rock by Keri Hilson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtXOVKNazYU

This video really idealizes the meaning of pretty-"no question that this girl's a ten." 

Role model or Weapon?

     Once upon a time there was a little girl who looked up to an unrealistic idol, Barbie. Spoiler alert: that little girl was me. From the time I was three years old I was taught to love Barbie. Everyone around me played with Barbie's; my sister, my cousin, my friends all had tons of them. In actuality I never saw anything wrong with the dolls until I read, "Our Barbie's, Ourselves." In fact, when I was little I looked up to her. She had everything I wanted in life: lots of talents, great careers, a beautiful house, and much more. But after I read, "Our Barbie's, Ourselves," I began to understand all the controversy surrounding the beloved toy. Emily Prager uses rhetoric, such as allusions and rhetorical questions, to reveal to readers the effect that Barbie can have on women. Girls who play with Barbie at a young age are taught that they should look like that doll. They are taught that in order to be 'beautiful' you must be tall, skinny, and blond, and you must have big breasts and a small waist. But, a girl looking exactly like a Barbie is about as realistic as my friends becoming pink elephants tomorrow. It's very unlikely- dare I say impossible. Today there are so many different people in the world who have such different body types and physical characteristics that the standard of perfection set by Barbie is even more outrageous than it was when she was first created. They say that perfection is in the eye of the beholder, but I think that no one can see you as perfect until you truly believe yourself to be perfect. Perfection is not only about looks but rather about who you are on the inside. Jesus Christ once said, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven." In this quote, Christ makes no reference to beauty but instead suggests that the path to perfection involves sacrificing your wants for the sake of others. Perfection is a word that can mean a thousand different things to a thousand different people; just as Barbie can be considered a role model or a weapon against feminism (Prager), depending on who you ask.

    

Common Day Nazis

     Throughout the novel Maus, Spiegelman uses different animals to represent the different races and ethnicities of the characters in his book. He also shows some of the animals wearing masks, representing the varying appearances between the ethnicities. But, this also shows that underneath they are all the same. The use of masks serves to prove that a person's exterior is just that, a mask. The poem, "Please hear what I'm not saying," by Charles C. Finn addresses this topic really well.

 "Don't be fooled by me.
Don't be fooled by the face I wear
For I wear a mask, a thousand masks, 
Masks that I'm afraid to take off 
And none of them is me."

Finn is trying to explain that his exterior is not who he truly is; but rather a mask he puts on for the sake of others. Throughout the poem he explains that he is not at all who he appears to be. This really made me think about and analyze the different masks I wear throughout the course of a single day. Think about it. Most people act differently with their friends at lunch than they would with their boss at work. But who is to say which one is real? Each day we put on a series of different masks to try to fit in with the people around us. To try to be the person they want us to be. Although, high school is obviously different than the holocaust, it serves as a good comparison to daily life. In Auschwitz, if you had Jewish characteristics you were punished. In high school, people are judged based on appearances too. Lots of  people are  commonly considered outcasts because they don't look like the "normal" high school student. In essence, they are being discriminated against because they defy the social standard for normal. Most people think that the Holocaust was devastating and unfair. Hitler discriminated against the Jews because they were different. But isn't that what we do each day, make snap judgments based on appearances? Whether it's one person or a complete ethnicity, judging a person by the 'mask' they wear is wrong. In a society that is continuously growing and becoming more diverse, acceptance of others is critical.

Click here: http://www.jwjonline.net/poems/poem/mask/: to read the rest of the poem, "Please hear what I'm not saying."