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Words Hurt

Photo from Fabounab

This picture is very metaphorical.  It illustrates the impact that words can have.  When I came across it, it had me stop and wonder.  I mean, I have always heard that words hurt, but it's not a physical pain.  But looking at this picture really made me think of the hurt that it causes.  Bullying, in the form of words, affects peope just as much as physical violence.

Starting with the color gradient, this picture shows the issue as black and white.  It is plain and simple.  Name-calling and other verbal bullying is cruel.  Whether or not that is debatable is not an issue within this picture because in this context there is no middle ground.  Furthermore, the black and white aspect shows that it is an age old issue.  I know I have talked to my grandmother about how when she was a child people bullied her.  Whether you lived in the 1930's or the 2000s, verbal bullying is a prevalent problem.

The most obvious part of this picture is the arm coming out of the first man's mouth and punching the second man.  It shows that whatever comes out of his mouth (words) is harming the other man.  Metaphorically, it is harming him just as bad as a physical punch would.  The hurtful words -- some I noticed were idiot, worthless, hated, death, etc-- create a semblance of an arm, hence the punching of the second guy.

Putting all of this together, the photograph sends a clear, distinct message.  Words can hurt.  I could name many quotes that try to do the same.  "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" and others.  But somehow, I feel like this picture packs a more powerful punch.

Trying to Fail, and Succeed

I came across this quote online.  The full quote is:
      "If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?"
I find this quote very rhetorical.  It is actually a very philosophical question based on a play on words. 

On the one hand, you could take the quote as thus: you tried to fail, and you succeeded at failing.  In this case, the only success is that you accomplished your venture...to fail.  Is this really a success then?  The ultimate ending is failure, so could it really be considered a success? 

On the other hand, you could take the quote in the opposite way:  you tried to fail at something, but instead succeeded.  Instead of accomplishing your venture of failure, you did the opposite and instead succeeded.  Was this really a success then, since you did not accomplish what you set out to do?  But you succeeded in something, even if it wasn't what you intended. 


Photo from: sodahead.com



This is a hard question to answer.  Even in thinking about this, I couldn't come up with an example of each situation.  But rhetorically, this speaks volumes.  The writing of it is very simple.  It easily sticks in the audience's mind.  It seems like it is easily understood as well.  Yet when you think about it, the question is actually much more complex, as I've described.  There is no clear-cut answer to the question.  That fact leads the audience to continually contemplate the question.  Speaking for myself, I have been thinking about it since I recently came across it.  And I know in high school, in my creative writing class, we had lengthy discussions about it.



In the end, I believe this quote is a type of "glass half full or half empty" type of question.  The way you understand the quote is reflective of your outlook on the entire situation.  So which is it for you?  Did you fail, or did you succeed?

Easter

As I am sure many people know, Easter is this weekend.  It surprised me actually how quickly and quietly it came up.  I come from a small, predominantly Christian town.  Easter is a big deal there.  The bunny decorations go up, eggs spring up in the lawns, and churches prepare for Holy Week.  Yet here, at State College, Easter did not seem as important as it does back home.  This is probably because of the greater diversity of Penn State, but nevertheless, it made me think about the holiday, and what it truly meant in society.  Obviously, there are two connotations with Easter; the Christian view of Jesus dying on the Cross, and of course, the materialistic societal view of the easter bunny and baskets.

Christianity is where Easter is derived from.  The savior, Jesus Christ gave up his life for their sins on Good Friday and rose from the dead three days later, on what became known as Easter.  So, for Christians, Easter is not only a day, but a season.  It is a solemn time before that Sunday.  On Friday, they mourn the loss of Christ, and then on Sunday they celebrate his rising.  It is the most important part of the year for Christians.  It is a time of rejoicing in the savior and being thankful for his grace. 

On the other hand, Easter has become much more secular.  Stores start selling candy in bulk as early as they can.  Easter baskets and eggs are a must have for the occasion.  It has even become like a second Christmas, where children get tangible gifts from their parents.  The "Easter bunny" comes in the middle of the night to distribute these gifts.  Children also participate in egg hunts and coloring eggs.  It is still a time of rejoicing, but not as spiritual as it is material. 

So, in the end, what is Easter?  Is it a more spiritual holiday, as the Christians believe?  Or is it a marketing holiday where you give your children candy and gifts?  Neither is wrong necessarily, but both are quite different from each other.  However we decide to take it is up to us personally.  In any event, Happy Easter to everyone!

There's No Place Like Home

Hey! I just wanted to say that I am sorry this didn't go up last week! I wondered why no one commented on it.  I accidentally pressed "Save" instead of "Publish."  Whoops!

Photo from: jezebel.com

Everyone has heard this phrase.  It's the way that Dorothy got out of Oz and back to Aunty Em's.  "There's no place like home."  Lately, I have thought about this phrase.  Where is home?  Why is there no place like it.  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the quote is quite true, for many reasons.

For starters, every place that I have been to has been different from my town.  The weather may be different.  The people may be similar, but not exactly the same.  New places, different scenes.  So from a demographic point of view, there is no physical place exactly like home. 

In addition to the set up of places, also, the connections you make with them separate them from home.  I can live in a million other places, but they will never share the same experiences as when I am at "home."  My room in State College does not hold as much value to me as the room at my parent's house; the room I have slept in, cried in, hid in, worked in, done EVERYTHING in for the past 16 years of my life.  No other room can replace it.  No other town can stand up to Lilly, where every building, street, and person holds a memory for me.  There is no place quite like it.

"Home" isn't just a physical place though.  Home is a feeling.  I feel at home when I am in front of a campfire making a smore.  I feel at home at my house, curled up and watching a movie with my dad.  I feel at home when I am with my friends, just talking.  It's that sense of belonging, that sense of being where you are suppose to be.  And there is truly no better feeling than in that moment. 

In the end, Dorothy was really onto something when she said "There's no place like home."  No matter where you go or what you do, home is where your heart is.  Home is where you look back to.  And home is the feeling that you keep with you.

A Cruel Male-Dominated Culture

Last semester I took Women's Studies 001.  One week, we discussed beauty norms.  That was when I first saw this picture.  Even then, I thought it said a lot, in many different ways.

First of all, it shows that beauty really is not defined by one set definition.  Rather, it is defined among societies, and it is different from one society to the next.  In the US, less clothing is more attractive.  Women walk around all the time with low-cut shirts on and shorts that redefine its name.  Women are suppose to be very skinny and show that off.  Furthermore, their hair is suppose to be flawless, and again, out so everyone can view it.  In the Arabic world, beauty is defined much differently.  They cover up their features, not necessarily because they are forced to, but because they have the right to do this.  They only reveal their full body to the ones they love, which produces a bond of trust that we as Americans will never know.  Their idea of beauty is not to flaunt body features. 

Also, this picture shows how different the cultures view each other.  Speaking for myself, any time I saw or heard of women wearing the complete burka and garments (I don't know the actual name?) I always felt bad for those women and thought about how oppressed they were for having to dress that way.  Until my Women's Studies class, I never thought that they might actually CHOOSE to dress that way.  In addition, I never thought of how they viewed us, wearing next to nothing like the girl in the picture. 

The words in the picture really hit me.  I almost had to laugh at the ignorance of both sides, an ignorance which I, myself, was victim to.  From the US standpoint, women are forced to cover themselves by men.  The "cruel, male-dominated culture" forced them to hide what they should be proud to show.  But from the other standpoint, American women are forced to reveal what they have the right to keep to themselves.  The "cruel, male-dominated culture" forces them to display themselves for a man's benefit. 

It all comes down to the culture.  Both have different perceptions of freedom and beauty.  Their garb reflects that.  Which one is actually the "cruel, male-dominated culture" is debatable, but what is clear is that each side is comfortable in their own clothing.

Birthdays on Facebook

It's your birthday!  It's your day, where everything is about you!  You love the presents and cards that you get.  It feels so special when you hear happy birthday from everyone.  And when they call or text.  But, does it feel as special when they say it over Facebook?

Rhetorically, a birthday shows the person just how much people appreciate that they know him or her.  Everyone is much nicer and grateful.  The birthday girl (I am just making a generalization of gender) receives gifts to commemorate their birth.  I know personally, I love hearing people say "happy birthday" to me.  It shows me that they really do remember.  It shows that I am special and important to them.  They value my relationship with them.  Maybe I put too much onto whether or not someone remembers my birthday, but I still think it is important.  And I am hurt when people forget my birthday.  Do they not care?  Am I not important to them?  Conventionally, the worst thing on my birthday was when people I was close to forgot about it.  Now, however, people who only say "Happy birthday" on Facebook really angers me.

I think that Facebook has made saying "Happy birthday" much less special.  Like I said before, it meant something to me when people said happy birthday.  But now, it's different.  I mean, it's still the same when people say it the conventional way.  But on Facebook, it's just annoying.  I continually question, "Are they just saying this because Facebook notified them, or because they are genuinely hoping I have a happy birthday."  Don't get me wrong, when certain people say it, it feels nice, but for the most part, I just question.  And the fact that there is at least 150 extra people (that I rarely talk to) who wish me happy birthday only confirms that they are only doing so because Facebook told them.  In the end, it makes the phrase "Happy Birthday" so much less special.


Photo by: someecards.com


Rhetorically, this means a lot, at least to me.  Social networking is changing our culture.  When the website reminds people when events are, does it make the relationship between you more special or less?  Whichever you decide, one thing is for certain; that in some way, it does change it.