The Immortality Of Words

As I read The Sentence Is a Lonely Place, I saw that Lutz's meticulous and somewhat irrational eye for detail pointed to things inside the book. “Instead, I liked how anything small (a pretzel crumb, perhaps) that fell into the gutter of the book—that troughlike place where facing pages meet—stayed in there and was preserved.” This reminded me of the many things I have found in books: crumbs, stains, highlights, hair(gross), plastic wrappings, tearing, bookmarks and notes along with some poetry. These are just simple reminders that someone else read (or at least had) the book before you. You don’t know what conditions they were in or why they read/had it but you can have the absolute certainty that they existed.
I guess that’s the purpose of time capsules. I think. You put stuff in, wait a few years and re-open it to find what you may have left behind, how you improved or to remind you of a time in your life. You see, next to the bookstore there’s a time capsule that’s supposed to open in 2013; however, I’m certain that the people who put whatever is in there aren’t in school anymore. Whatever they left is their legacy for someone else to find.
This brings me back to the point I made earlier about the books and how other readers existed. But what Lutz failed to reveal, is that the book as a whole is a legacy. That not only the load of physical crap that may be hidden inside but the words, the chapters, the meaning of the book are what are left behind on purpose. The message that matters. Word’s are everybody’s legacy, regardless if you don’t mean what you write, it’s out there and as long as it’s physically written or read by someone, it will remain out there. Words don’t die or deteriorate they get the message through and evoke feelings or thoughts. I guess they’re the smallest possible time capsule. Now you’re thinking that journals, or diaries, or logs may do the same but here’s where you’re wrong without each letter there is no sentence, therefore, no meaning. Now you have to apply all your learning’s from Lutz’s piece: pay attention to detail but not too much as to where it can’t flow. See the whole and appreciate its details.

The Subtleties To Your Carpe Diem

Yet again we start a new book. I was surprised as I saw: Seize The Day by Saul Bellows the new title. At first I thought of something very positive and optimistic, but then I remembered that in this class, as in life you can't assume something at first glance which directly links to the common saying: don't judge a book by its cover. In order to get it, I have to read it.

As I read this optimistic-looking book I got to thinking what Seize The Day implies. I guess it means live your life to the fullest. How do you live your life to the fullest. Is it just one day? A Moment? A chance? I left these and other uncertainties in the back of my mind and focused on the chapter.

As I read chapter one, I noticed that Bellows describes very thoroughly what the situation is. He paints a mental picture with just the right amount of information. As he - almost meticulously - portrays what’s going on, he shows us how the day is happening and why each thing is important by giving value to any and all details to Wilhem's day. He is showing us how these details are a part of his life and in the end to enjoy them.

This topic is no stranger to us as a society (as seen in many motion pictures such as the bucket list). As a matter of fact, it's linked back to a latin poem by Hoarce which dictates to enjoy or make use of your life (carpe diem) but is loosely translated as seize the day. Some seem to think that this means to be ready for the unexpected. Others think it's to expect nothing at all. Regardless of the many ways to look at it, we never seem to get it. Maybe it's what each of us thinks.

According to wikipedia, the whole phrase is, 'Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – "Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future." ' The only way that I can possibly think of living completely in the present is every second, the details as shown by Bellows. In the end he is showing us how so seize the day by his way of writing.

It Doesn't Really Matter

As humans, it's common to constantly ask ourselves: Who am I?
Are you yourself? Or are you who others think you should be? This means that either you follow the main stream; therefore, people are ultimately questioning the strength of your character.
Most people consider pop culture to set a trend and expect people to follow it. But for simplicity's sake, I'm going to separate it into two big groups.
Of course one is what most people think it is. A powerful arrangement in which hierarchy is set by social interaction which of course has a certain impact on who you become. In order to stay in a certain spot you have to "stick to the status quo" as sang in the major motion picture, High School Musical. (By the way, Disney is a major promoter of this side of pop culture.)
The other big part is when pop culture tells us to "be yourself." But in order to prove that you are in fact doing things for yourself and not for others, you stop yourself from doing what the others do. Ironically, this one gets more promoted than the other by this creating the significant difference between the two: advertising. As a matter of fact, just today I heard a lot of advertizing but only a couple stuck in my head. An Absolut Vodka campaign and Oscar Wilde’s maxim: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

Anyway, what I’m getting at is that by trying not to be part of the crowd, you become part of another crowd that doesn’t want to be part of the crowd. There is no way to prove that you are you for yourself because you could easily be what we think is a bubblegum/cookie cutter person as much as you could also have an 100% out-of-the-box personality.

A Whole New Way Of Viewing Bumper Stickers

Sometimes you just have to look at someone else's work to justify your conclusions. Of course, this happened to me. You see, irony is a hugely important part of my life and I love how mocking people (whether it be their lifestyle, physical appearance etc.) has become part of our every-day life. As I read through Alejandra’s blog and skimmed through Mariana’s, I underwent anagnorisis. I had en epiphany.
We make fun of so many things, that in the end we take irony in all its magnificence for granted. It’s not even funny. Any type of drama/ soap-opera uses satire. As a matter of fact almost all hit TV shows display an amplification of a stereotype. (Again pointing us towards satire) And what is irony if not the essence of current comedy.
Maybe that’s why we are so hard to please. If we have an overly-exaggerated perception of how people act, in the actual circumstances we find it sort of bland.
While I narrate this in my head, I go con facebook to find a satirical bumpersticker hoping to find a really clever one. To tell you the truth, as soon as I opened the bumpersicker page, I let out a chuckle. I guess it wasn’t that hard.

See what I mean? Think about it: is what "laugh out loud" about still really that funny?

Focus

So, today I was in class. We had to draw blood on a poster. I like the smell of markers in the afternoon. I had never noticed that rain has little droplets around the big brop. Like baby drops hovering around the warrior drop that attacks the people below. I don't think I could ever go to war. Why do people lie? I know why never mind. But why do they want to get away with the easy way? Losers. Someday I want to go to a mental institution (not because I need it). I was watching the "dirty little secret" music video and saw a secret that got me thinking. Something like:

I thought I had one at some point. Just kidding. That would suck. "I have CDO, it's the same thing as OCD but the letters are in alphabetical order"- Facebook Bumpersticker.

Are you spposed to quote a bumper sticker? Say what you mean and mean what you say you cowards! People become hypocrites over time. *cough cough* (Thomas Jefferson... I thought you were against slavery...200 salves? what's up with that?)

Pick a side or pick your nose. Why are madhouses called "Looney Bin"? Were Looney Toons created in a bin? These and more unanswered questions later on folks! Can you in fact slam a revolving door? Try it. Invent a new word. Use them wisely. Bipolar- Polar Bears? Did you know that on average a four year old askes 427 per day?

How do you spell ritalin?

ADD Or Substances?

So you're reading different books and they have to be somehow related. It turns out that so far I have read: Candide, A Clockwork Orange, A selfish gene, Slaughterhouse-Five, Dante's Inferno and I am now reading The Crying Of Lot 49. For now the main connection I find is that they all happen to have a twist at some point.

Slaughterhouse-Five and The Crying Of Lot 49 jump all over the place so you have to be really sure you understand what's happening. To be honest, at first as I read this new book I thought the female narrator had ADD. Today in class Mr. Tangen insinuated that she was high. DUH! It's the 60's (hippies wink wink nudge nudge), OF COURSE SHE'S HIGH! I guess I was wrong.
I wish I had ADD for a day and I could record all that I did. That way I could use all this potential creative material of my lack of attention.

*ADD= Attention Deficit Disorder