Dear Mr. Puzder..

It’s not very hard to find an ad within our culture that comes across as offensive or just plain unnecessary. This topic happens to be a major struggle in my own life. I fear for a world with no boundaries, a world that never questions morals, character, or respect. What happened to the world that did? It’s been a rare commodity for these characteristics to be seen in our culture and media as I have grown up in a violent, dirty, and sexual society in which seeing and hearing these things was simply unavoidable. What a sad reality.

The ads and articles that specifically bother me are those that portray and show extremely sexy women in an unrealistic and completely false way. Since when did eating a Big Carl lead to having THAT body, in THAT bikini, with THOSE heels on? I don’t think so. I understand that sex sells. It’s a sad reality when we can’t even go and see a movie unless some girl shows a little (which is now A LOT) of skin. There is absolutely no respect within this skewed picture of what’s simply called “advertisement.” First of all, it’s disrespectful from the men in our world that have resorted to presenting a practically naked woman on the screen to increase your sales of cheeseburgers. (DISCLAIMER: sorry guys, the girl DOES NOT come in the bag). Secondly, do women have any self-respect for themselves anymore? It makes me so sad as I watch these women explicitly display their bodies as they think and have come to believe that THIS is what will make them “socially accepted”. That is such a lie! I hope that women can one day regain the dignity that they truly deserve and should have.

With all of that said, I don’t think that individual lives are being considered as these things are being filmed, photographed, or displayed. I can’t help but feel completely inadequate as I sit next to my boyfriend (who thankfully chooses to look away) as Kim Kardashian sensually roles around in her silk sheets as she devours her grilled chicken sandwich. What about ALL of the other men who are not like my amazing boyfriend, as they feast their eyes on this kind of cheeseburger?! Millions of poor men are being spoon-fed an absolute false image of the “perfect” woman. A woman that most of us girls look at and think, “I could never look like that.” I KNOW I sure can’t. I stand 5’9, significantly white (unless I focus a lot of energy into changing that…which I don’t), with a face that has decided to sprout a wonderful world of ever-present acne, and let’s not even get started on the size of my boobs. Ha. The fact is that our world has established this standard for women that ultimately says, “if you don’t look like this, you’re not sexy enough.” And the funny thing is that honestly, most of the people that know me or see me constantly tell me how talented or beautiful I am or that I would never have any reason to feel insecure in these areas. However, it has been a constant battle for me to even establish that in my mind as these waves of stomach churning insecurity hit me. I understand why these beautiful young girls are hanging their heads over the toilet puking themselves to “perfection.” GIRLS: hear me loud and clear; don’t believe the lies that our world is telling you. YOU are beautiful just as YOU are. Don’t change that.

These are the reasons that I believe that this ad, and many more just like it, should be taken out of circulation. We are going to drive ourselves to destruction. If we don’t stop, our scarce and slight lines that we have are going to soon disappear and there won’t be any moral or respectable fibers in our bodies. We will eat, sleep, and breathe in sex. And it won’t just stop there. If we can’t establish some sort of restraint in this area, who’s to say we will in regards to the many other areas of our lives? Are we ready for a world that won’t stop at anything? I’m not. I hope you can look deep inside of you and honestly say that you aren’t as well.

Let the lines be drawn by you.

Drawing Lines..

We are the consumers.

You are the consumer.

I am the consumer.

Our world is consistently adapting to what people need, what people want, what people “have to have.” The consumer mindset of “the next best thing” is extremely common in our society, making each new development yesterdays news. Within this culture it has become a typical assumption to say that “you get what you want; you want what you get.” I think that this idea is true to a certain extent and only until it crosses certain lines.

First of all, the media that we allow into our lives is increasingly submerged with things that we may not even agree with within our own lives, and yet we are constantly entertained by. Most of us could care less what we see and hear, and because of this the media around us is going to continue to feed into that “this is what the consumer wants” mindset. What about the people that don’t want those things to be viewed in our media? This is where the line is drawn for me with this idea, because even though a certain percent of our culture may not have any filter for what they are entertained by or what they let into their lives, there is also a percentage of people that don’t want those things to be accessible with the simple click of a button.

For me, personally, the area of sexuality and nudity on the screen has been a sensitive part of who I am. I simply do not agree with a lot of the things that are on today’s televisions or in today’s movies or even music; however, I have always felt that this specific aspect of the media changes something inside of me and makes me hate any part of it. It has been a deep struggle in my life and I’m continually learning how to protect that part of myself as well as live in a world where this is simply how it is. With this in mind, I think that it is somewhat unfair that just because some people allow or even crave for more and more sex to be put onto our screens that I have do deal with its existence to such an extent. It’s getting worse and worse, with less and less boundaries. Who knows where we are going to draw our lines; shouldn’t we have some somewhere?? I don’t see any, do you?

So I absolutely agree with the statement “you get what you want; you want what you get.” But I only think that this is true for those that aren’t thinking about the lives around them. We have failed to realize that by choosing certain paths in our lives or by allowing certain things to happen, we are affecting the entire world. That’s a huge responsibility, in my opinion. Something that should not be taken lightly, and yet constantly is.

I am the consumer.

You are the consumer.

We are the consumers.

Don’t take that lightly.

hours

Life is composed of the time in which we breathe and live and exist. With each tick of the small hand our identities, mindsets, and events within life can change in an instant. Jeanette Winterson identifies this idea as the time that is spent within the mere hours of one’s life. Hours that prolong anxiety, or capture beauty, or reveal truth. These hours contain and hold much depth within their course.

“I watched the lights going off at some windows, on at others. Was she in his bed? What did that have to do with me? I ran a schizophrenic dialogue with myself through the hours of darkness and into the small hours, so called because the heart shrivels up to the size of a pea and there is no hope left in it.” (Winterson, Written on the Body)

Within the hours of the night, Winterson shows that each thought and second holds meaning for her. As she talks back and forth with herself she sees that she is driving herself mad in the attempt at love with Louise. These instances in Written on the Body emphatically compliment Michael Cunningham’s ideas about the hours spent in life. The same value is assigned to each passing moment. These single moments in time are viewed as moments that could change the course of life. Minor details are drawn out in an attempt to grasp the moment’s entire meaning. Nothing should be taken for granted here; this time is sacred.

“These were my thoughts as she slept beside me and if she had any fears she did not reveal them in those night-time hours. I looked at her lying trustfully in the spot where she had lain for so many nights. Could this bed be treacherous?” (Winterson, Written on the Body)

Just as there are hours that are extremely significant, there are also those that stretch in tedious, painful ways. These hours rip at our souls and seem as though the seconds last a lifetime and yet nothing happens in these slight moments. Winterson finds herself in a place in which she has no idea how to escape from. She sees these hours as being wasted away and, ultimately, as hours of absolute confusion and fear. This concept of the hours spent within the life of a human being diverges from Cunningham’s view of the hourse. He constantly expressed how a single day holds enough significance to reveal a lifetime of a person. The hours, in his mind was not meant to be wasted away by any means, it was to be explored and used as various turning points within someone’s life, not some mere passing of the time.

While both authors express “the hours” within their novels, both do so in distinct ways. Jeanette Winterson spends most hours confused and paces the time away as she undertakes her mind-boggling predicament at hand. Whereas, Michael Cunningham has his characters soak up each and every second possible, each and every trivial detail stitched within the fabric of a single day.

I did not think that I could love... or be loved that way again.

Mumford & Sons - The Banjolin Song / Awake my soul - A Take Away Show #105 from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Like Spiders Across the Stars

“The total of a person’s life is revealed in a single, ordinary day.”

Could all that a person is, all that a person has passions for, desires for, hatred against, empathy with, be revealed in one single moment, in one single day?

I believe so.

I believe that each second we breathe, each second we sigh, each second we waste, or each second that we live could determine and have affect in unbelievable ways on our meanings within our confusions of life; even on the stories, paths, and lives of the others journeying beside us. One of my absolute favorite authors, Jack Kerouac, says in his book On the Road, “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.” His desire to live for more than just a typical, normal life is completely expressed in this one single, inspiring statement. As I read this, I felt such a deep want to be known as “mad” throughout my life, to “never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn!” So much is conveyed in one single sentence, one single moment. One thing that I love about literature as well, is that these single moments have the ability to last until the end of time, creating single moments for each person that dives into its text. What a beautiful expression of art.

Here’s the most amazing thing about literature: the vastness of a human beings own life can be summed up within its pages. So many experiences that calculate to the character that someone is can be revealed to the reader within a mere sentence. What a beautiful concept; that the presentation of words can hold such a vastness of life. This is why I am such a lover of the written word. I can sit down and read a novel, a poem, a sentence, and have some idea of who this person is, where they are at, what makes them the writer that they are. There can also be so much hidden meaning behind stories or poems that take time to discover its true purpose and intention. It becomes a puzzle for the reader, a place to discover and divulge.

This is why writing should not be taken for granted. We should all be writing more, all discovering who we are or have become from our written tongue.

My hopes are to become a journalist one day. My hopes are to precisely convey the young woman that I am, that I’m becoming, while inspiring others to go beyond the unknown and be the best they can possibly be. Words are one of the most powerful ways to move human beings.

So go ahead, take a pause from everyday life, grab a book, a poem, a friend’s short story, dive in, and discover the vastness contained in each line.

For God So Loved the World

In the 1900s there were highly controversial issues such as slavery and women’s rights; today, we have the topic of homosexuality. This lifestyle is something that has been debated, rejected, and persecuted in many ways throughout America, as well as the entire world. Many biblical references in regards to this subject raise tons of questions and concerns. What the bible says has played a substantial role in influencing people’s views of homosexuality.

To be a Christian, to truly be a Christian, means to be a follower of Christ; someone that seeks to emulate the very nature and qualities possessed by the Son of God Himself. This is not an easy pursuit by any means; however, in the process of interpreting the Bible in attempts to better understand God, unfortunately, human beings have interfered and had their affect in negative ways. Jesus Christ was a living example of love; love that is not prescribed only to certain people, with certain mindsets, and with certain lifestyles. One of the most world renown verses in the bible, John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” I immediately want to wipe away any slanderous claims that “God hates homosexuals” or “homosexuals are an abomination.” Not once in the bible does it say that God would hate such people. If any thing, in my opinion, He is pained and sorrowful for those who are claiming to know Him and yet use His name in completely wrong ways.

In terms of what the bible actually says in regards to homosexuality, there are many references in which the subject is discussed. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul says, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” These things are described as offenses to God. Some people believe that by “homosexual offenders” Paul is referring to something more along the lines of prostitution or offense.

For a long time I wasn’t sure how I even felt about the subject. I was aware of it. I wasn’t exposed to it very often. I had the mindset that the bible said that it’s wrong. That’s all I knew.

Christianity is an interesting lifestyle. It can quickly become about following the religion as apposed to following Jesus Christ. Too many Christians have sacrificed one of the ultimate commandments proclaimed by God in the bible, to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus Christ would have never protested against homosexuals or screamed out that God hates them. He would have been actively teaching and showing His unconditional love. God knows that we are all in process. He knows that we have trials to face, that we all will fall in weakness inevitably; that’s the absolute beauty of the cross. Jesus Christ took our burdens upon His shoulders, upon His death. What a perfect picture of absolute sacrifice and true love. Who are we then to scream at the very humans that He died for? How can we judge whom God loves and whom He doesn’t?

Despite the many, many things that I myself am in process of understanding about the bible, I can place all of my confidence, hope, strength, and trust in God’s love. We can all place our confidence in God’s love.

stuck.

I'm at an awkward time in my life. When I know who I want to be, what I want to do, where I want to go, yet, I feel stuck. Life is interesting. It's always throwing new things my way. Still I feel like I'm glued to the middle of it all; watching the chaos dance around me.

I want to jump in.

I guess some could say I'm suicidal. I don't agree. I see it as grasping my dreams and sharing them with the world for the rest of my life. Our WORLD, the world we live in, the world we know……..is black and white. I want to be red, purple, blue, hot pink, orange, green, and yellow.

Extravagantly colorful.

Sure, my life is routine; I'll break it…………one day. One day I'll step outside of this united soil of complacent souls, into the land of the unknown.

I want to know.

For now, I'm stuck.

a "not so needed" explanation..

Just so you all know.. part of my english class is to blog about a given topic on a weekly basis. So I will be posting various blogs in regards to that class. I feel like if people didn't know that they would think I write about a whole lot of random things. (even though 90% of my followers are classmates!) ha.

:) so.. just thought I'd clarify.

Mr. Mom

As I read Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre, there were many apparent gender themes spread throughout the book in which various normal gender roles within the society of the mid 19^th century were strongly challenged. This aspect of the book played a key importance to the development of each character; specifying whom the true antagonists and protagonists of the novel were.

Within one specific chapter of the book, chapter 15, the reader sees a very distinct challenge of a typical gender role of a male father and female mother. In the 19^th century, male figures were generally not regarded as the nurturer or caretaker of the children, this was a role specifically associated with the female figure.

As Jane is growing more and more accustomed to her life at Thornfield, she is continually learning and seeing the multifaceted character of Mr. Rochester. Chapter 15 contains a crucial scene in which Mr. Rochester manifests the disheartening story of his past lover, Celine Varens. Explaining his feelings of jealousy as Celine exits a car with another man close behind her, Mr. Rochester says the following to Jane:

You never felt jealousy, did you, Miss Eyre? Of course not; I need not ask you; because you never felt love. You have both sentiments yet to experience; your soul sleeps; the shock is yet to be given which shall waken it. You think all existence lapses in as quiet a flow as that in which your youth has hitherto slid away. Floating on with closed eyes and muffled ears, you neither see the rocks bristling not far off in the bed of the flood, nor hear the breakers boil at their base. But I tell you—and you may mark my words—you will come someday to a craggy pass of the channel, where the whole of life’s stream will be broken up into whirl and tumult, foam and noise; either you will be dashed to atoms and crag-points, or lifted up and borne on by some master wave into a calmer current—as I am now.

In the 19^th century, male vulnerability and emotion shown such as this was not expected. We see a man confessing such feelings discovered from the soul wrenching experience of that of love; which was much expected then, and even in today’s society, from the women in the relationship. On the contrary, this scenario was a flipped gender role in which Celine left Mr. Rochester with raw emotions and feelings such as this, as well as her own child to take care of. He then steps into the role of the caretaker of this child, perplexing the ideas of the right roles for the proper genders. This happens in many instances throughout Jane Eyre. Bronte does a beautiful job at presenting these characters in way that disrupts the common views about gender during that era.

This is a novel that society should learn and grow from within the boxes that they have framed around what the “duties” or “normal” ways for men and women to go about life. I still think that there are natural borders to gender; however, women and men are absolutely able to accomplish the same amount of tasks and goals at the same standards.

Reference:

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York, NY. 2001. Page 170.

"Male nor Female"

From the earliest of times human beings have been chasing, neglecting, twisting, or embracing the controversial idea of religion. It has driven some people away and drawn others in, damned a society to hell and loved and accepted the world. Religion has shown itself to be extremely difficult to grasp or even come to terms with. Among the various beliefs and morals in the Christian lifestyle, many cause commotion and concern around the world. Judeo-Christian values have impacted society in both negative and positive ways. One current issue stands out among the rest in today’s society: inter-sex people.

Sadly, issues such as these can be handled in poor regards, resulting in pain and persecution that should have never existed.

From a Christian perspective God created man and woman.
We all have heard this and are familiar with the basic concept. So when a person is born in a way that is not specific in human terms, what do we do with that? In a debate about inter-sex people the reverend defended his point, quite avidly, that sex is bipolar. He argued that this problem with inter-sex human beings is a grey area and is simply “nature playing tricks.” Sadly, the way that people have presented religion to the surrounding world has been heavily negative and consisted with much persecution. Thousands of people have been told that they are “going to hell” and “need to repent” or have strongly argued that if you are not like “them” you are unacceptable and simply wrong. In regards to issues such as inter-sex people, a lot of Christians have driven people away because of the way that they are treated. Many Christians have negatively affected our society and persecuted people that are different than they think that humans should be.

With this in mind, however, it is extremely important to recognize that the issue is not in the beliefs of Christianity or in God. This is strictly a problem with human beings, not God. Christianity is not supposed to just be a religion. From a biblical perspective, it’s supposed to represent a God that has compassion for a world in need, that accepts and loves anyone and everyone, no matter what sex they might be. People have twisted and presented God in a negative way that has, in turn, created a society in which religion is undesirable, even rejected and protested. I personally think that inter-sex people are an undeniable reality and that they should absolutely still be treated with the same respect and rights as men and women. Some inter-sex people may feel lost or like they are seeking for their true identity. In Luke 19:10, it says, “For the Son of man (Jesus Christ) came to seek and save what was lost.” What a beautiful concept, so widely misunderstood or misrepresented. Also, Galatians 3:28 states, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The love of Jesus Christ should triumph over everything that we struggle, debate, and wage war with. Who are we to say that someone is any less of a person because of physical characteristics that they are born with? It’s time for Christians to recognize that the only way for God to truly be seen is by loving the world as God has loved the world. Yes, Christianity has significantly and negatively impacted the issue, but this is because the way that Christians and other religions have treated it; not once has it been God. These issues should be met with love and grace, much like that of Jesus Christ.

Gender & Identity.

As I sit in my bed, coffee in hand, watching Nick at Night’s priceless re-runs of The Nanny, I can’t help but notice the magnitude of the “typical” gender positions assumed within the American culture. We see Miss Fine looking sexy, as usual, dressed from head to toe in the stereotypical sexy woman outfit. Her job as a nanny suits a woman well within the American life, while the dashing Mr. Sheffield resides as the head of the house, bringing in an excessive amount of money. We see these roles being played all throughout America, whether it’s the media or simply within our daily lives. There are standards and expectations around every corner just waiting to create that barrier of the unattainable goals and dreams faced by women and men around the world.

In my mind, gender and identity have to do with the individuals that, as human beings, we grow and develop into. Each and every soul has the ability to decide just exactly what is going to make them who they truly are. Not one of us are exactly the same, each mind forms and deciphers the bits and pieces that will form them in their entirety. I believe that there is a lot of freedom in that process; however, I also believe that there is an intention and purpose behind the gender we find in our world. We were created for specific purposes within the human system of life and I think that we need to realize the beauty and intention behind it’s design.

I was highly informed, however, by Judith Lorber’s article about gender from a social perspective. We tend to associate, as a society, certain labels with each gender. We have expectations, stereotypes, and “norms” within our society that are ritualized on a daily basis. This kind of gender separation is not, in my opinion, the way it ought to be. I agree with Lorber in the fact that girls and boys are raised, taught, and expected to behave certain ways and like certain things. She explains, “In social interaction throughout their lives, individuals learn what is expected, see what is expected, act and react in expected ways, and thus simultaneously construct and maintain the gender order.” (Lorber, “Night to His Day”) Our order is constant, but is continually being broken and re-written. It has become more and more common to see men responsible for “womanly” duties, as well as women for “manly” duties. We are beginning to stretch the boundaries and the many assumptions placed upon the human race.

Being in this class and studying these areas of gender within America literature is going to stretch my views and opinions in various ways. I am anxious to learn and understand more about issues such as gender expectations and assumptions from other perspectives other than my own. Hopefully by the end of the semester I will have a broader understanding of the culture that I live and breathe every single day and I will have more confidence and assurance in my views regarding gender within our world.

New Song: Saved

Hello brother John, brother John
what do you have to say?
because I can't quite explain this
feeling that I've felt all along
as I read each word I sway
just like...

the branches on a sycamore
the ripples on a lake
the sand upon a vacant shore
the crashing of the waves.

Hello sister Ruth, sister Ruth
please sing to me of truth
I seek the redemption that you have, that you've found
as you glean in faith
and then I turn the page where good old Sam
is waiting just to say
Lord be my strength when I am...

the branches on a sycamore
the ripples on a lake
the sand upon a vacant shore
the crashing of the waves
I am, the fire on a withered field
where I can't change my ways
the dust beneath a wandering heel
that's dying to be saved from this.

well hello brother Paul, brother Paul
appeal to me this day
am I a living sacrifice, a holy one?
where on my knees I can say,
I will not conform, not conform
may my mind be transformed.

So hello Father God, Father God
my fear has kept me from
receiving grace upon dirty hands
a heart that moves and sways
for I am just a fool, just a fool
but in You I am changed
because You are...

the stillness of a sycamore
the beauty of a lake
the warmth of sand upon the shore
the sound of breaking waves
You are, the fire on a withered field
that no one can escape
the path beneath a wandering heel
that leads to being saved.