Vern's Volvo

If we accept that both cars cannot simultaneously be Vern’s Volvo then the only other car that can be Vern’s would be the present one which he drives. Every time that a part of Vern’s car was replaced, that new part was accepted by Vern and became a part of the Volvo. The old part of the Volvo was simply put aside and forgotten about—never again to be used by Vern.

Let's compare Vern’s Volvo to the human body. We consider every part of our body to be ours. Therefore our foot is our foot, our hand is our hand, and our heart is our heart. However, if our heart stops working and we need a heart transplant, when does our sick heart stop being ours and the new donor heart start? Generally we as humans tend to accept the new heart as our own, and we come to accept that the old heart is no longer a part of us. If we define a heart as being the part of our body which pumps our blood and keeps us alive, then it is in the moment the heart becomes sick and must be removed that it stops being our heart. The new heart does keep us alive and is a part of our body, and so the moment the surgery is completed, the donor heart becomes a part of us, and becomes our heart. Therefore, at what point do we stop being who we are?

The same can be asked about Vern’s Volvo, at what point does Vern’s car stop being his car? If we define Vern’s Volvo as being a vehicle which Vern owns and/or uses as transportation, then the only time that Vern’s Volvo stops being his Volvo is when he sells the entire car and drives a different one. For the moment; however, Vern’s Volvo, despite having had parts replaced, has been accepted by Vern as being the car that he drives, therefore it is his.

Using this logic, the old heap of car parts are not Vern’s Volvo because he does not drive a heap of car parts and they are no longer his—they are Grace’s. The old car parts stopped being a part of Vern’s Volvo because they were “sick” or simply stopped working; therefore, they had to be replaced. Also, since only one car can be Vern’s Volvo, and the Volvo that he currently drives is his, then the heap of junk parts is immediately eliminated as being his car.

Know Thyself

The search to find oneself is one that takes a whole lifetime. As we grow up we figure out parts of ourselves in hopes of understanding ourselves and others. Knowing oneself means to know ones limits, what makes us happy, and what we value the most. Knowing ourselves is one of the most valuable things we can acquire because if we know ourselves then we are more likely to do what is right by us and not others. This search is the most difficult one that we as humans go on. What makes knowing ourselves so difficult is that in order to know ourselves we have to accept both the bad and the good in us.

It seems to be almost against human nature to admit to our flaws. As humans we try to show as little weakness as possible; therefore, admitting to ourselves (often times the most difficult person do admit something to) that we are flawed, can be difficult. Thankfully, as a teenaged girl still in high school, I have been made acutely aware of some of my flaws, simply because of the demands of high school itself, and life. My father has been telling me my whole life that I “always have to have the last word”. Of course I always argue him saying that such accusations are not true. It was not until recently; however, that I realized that by simply arguing with my father I was proving him right. This is what I like to call being stubborn. Of the many flaws that I have, I believe that the one that impairs me the most is my stubbornness.

My stubbornness seeps through almost everything that I do. If I am at work and I have set myself a goal, I will stay late to finish. If my dad asks me to clean my room, I probably do not do it for the sole reason of showing that I can do what I want. If someone does something wrong on a project I will keep pointing it out until it is eventually fixed. Only my dad has ever said that my stubbornness is what will get me far. I on the other hand believe that it makes my life more difficult. This shows that when we introspect what we find is very subjective. What it may seem like to us, may seem like something else to someone else. Because I am aware of my stubbornness I can, with much effort, fight it. For example: when my dad and I argue and he finishes his point, I try to say ok, I see your point, and leave. Or, I will just clean my room and get it over with, instead of punishing myself.

Fortunately for myself and everyone who spends time around me, my personality does not consist only of flaws, I do have good qualities as well. Among many things, I believe that my best strength is my ability to be realistic. This is due in large part to the way I was raised, and to the way I grew up surrounded by many cultures and people. By my ability to be realistic, I mean that I can keep my head straight in most situations. This allows me to analyze situations, understand both sides of issues, see why certain people are doing things, and calm myself and others down. I will admit that sometimes I am too stubborn to see clearly when I am really passionate about something; however, I know when this happens, and I can often take a step back.

Having grown up in an environment where I was always encouraged to give everyone a chance I learned to judge people and situations only after I knew them. Who knows the background story? It is not fair to judge solely based on appearances. Something happened to me a few weeks ago, which really highlighted the importance of my calmness. My best friend (lets call her, Julia) and I know exactly what we want to do with our lives, and we are on our way to accomplishing that. One of our closest friends, who will be called Tom, has always been very serious about soccer, and we always thought that that was what he wanted to do in college. However, I few weeks ago he began partying and ignoring my friend and I, things that he had never done before. My friend became furious and decided not to talk to him. She asked me what was going on with him, so I told her that he probably needed a change of pace, that he was a teenager, and that he just needed to experience the other life. When she asked Tom about this, he agreed whole heartedly, and they began talking again. I was glad that I was able to help Julia understand what was happening, and I was able to do so without getting worked up or angry. Of course this seems like just another high school drama and it is, but these are among the things that help people find themselves.

As I said earlier, it is difficult to know ourselves, and it is even more difficult to write it down. As I wrote this I felt uncomfortable with having to announce my weakness and strength. Not because I am embarrassed but because I feel like it is not something which is often done. Writing about my weakness felt corny, and writing about my strength felt like bragging. I felt as if I was in the middle of a college interview all over again. I feel that when Thales said, “know thyself” he meant it in a very personal way. We are, in essence our own secrets. Sometimes, people can see parts of us but they will never understand completely. It is up to us, to learn and understand ourselves as time goes on. This knowledge does not present itself one day, but over time.

It's My Life

Last Thursday afternoon, as I was walking around Yale to get to my Arabic class my mind was racing with all the stress of college applications. I was so confused by this that I ended up walking into one person, dropping my umbrella (in the pouring rain, nonetheless) and spilling scolding coffee on my shirt. When I finally made it to class in one piece my Arabic teacher said to me,

            “What happened to you?”

So I summarize my adventures to him and the rest of my class. Immediately his expression turned very serious and he said to me:

“For the two years that I have known you, you have always been so focused on your Arabic, and your AP tests, and volunteering, that I always feel like you have no time for yourself”

“I do have time for myself, but I need to do everything that I do in order to succeed”

“As far as I can tell, I am a professor at Yale University, and I never did anything that you did, I focused on what made me happy, and I succeeded that way”

There was nothing else that I could say to him because deep down inside I knew that he was right. As I finally settled down to start taking notes, I started thinking about what he had said. Mr. Nasr was right, I do too much, and I have very little time for myself. He was telling me what every one had been telling me my whole life, “just be happy.” I had always thought that I was living my life my way, and in a sense I am; however, I am also doing things in order to please others despite how it makes me feel.  Currently the people that I have been trying to please are the college admissions people. However, it was on Thursday night that I finally realized that this insane competition to get me into college was not making me happy at all. I realized that the cards have been dealt and that there is no more use in stressing over college because what is done, is done. I have always been so busy doing what my father and colleges have been telling me to do, that I have developed some form of Stockholm syndrome, in the sense that I began liking everything that I have been doing.

            When Mr. Nasr, my forever-wise Arabic teacher, essentially told me that I had to relax I realized that happiness is more important than anything. I realized right then and there that there that I should try to do only things that I enjoy doing. Happiness is what gives life value, why go through life unhappy? Happiness leads us to be confident and caring. Therefore, doing what makes you happy is incredibly important. In my case my obligations and my happiness sometimes overlap; however, other times they are two incredibly different things. 

This having been said, I do not plan on relaxing any time soon. Trust me when I say that I am counting down the days until summer vacation; however, until finals week in June, I cannot stop running around, I cannot relax. My obligations to school, my boss, my parents, the kids who I baby-sit and work with at a daycare, and my friends are too important to simply ignore. When Mr. Nasr told me that life is better when we just relax he was absolutely correct, and I know that one day I will be able to do what makes me happy; however for now, accomplishing what is asked of me, and doing it well, so that I will be remembered takes priority over my own happiness.

Do not get me wrong though, I enjoy what I do and I have no complaints other than I am sleep deprived. I enjoy going to work and spending my afternoons playing, learning from, and teaching children. I enjoy most of the schoolwork that I am assigned to do, and I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I only wish that I could take a mental health day, and sit in front of my TV for hours watching senseless shows, and then going to bed at 8.

In conclusion, when Mr. Nasr stopped class to ask me what was wrong, I realized how I had been living my life. The advice that he gave me will stick with me forever and it will always be in the back of my mind (most likely because I’ll remember all the unfortunate incidents that went along with that advice). By the end of that class, I had learned very little Arabic and a whole lot of life. 

The meaning of Life

As human beings we all know that we re going to die, and as a result of that knowledge we attempt to figure out what the purpose of life is. For all of us the purpose of life is different since we all hope to achieve something different. I do not think that we ever consciously decide what the purpose of our life is. But rather, it presents itself to us as we gain knowledge, experience, and age. In my case, for example, I cannot pretend to know what the purpose of my life is. I do; however, know that there are certain things that I want to achieve before I die.

            As I watch people close to me get older I try to understand what makes their lives valuable. Watching these people has made me realize that there is absolutely no purpose to life if we cannot enjoy it. Life is valuable because we get to experience things on our own, we get to learn, love, and grow, but if in the end we are not happy than all of that had no meaning. Therefore, my biggest goal that I thrive to achieve is to be able to look back on my life when I am old and dying, and be happy with that I have accomplished.

            Being happy is a universal search and critical to humanity. Having a world full of unhappy people would led to chaos

            In order to achieve this happiness, there are several things that I think I need. The first and most important being a family that loves me. The person that I most respect in my life is my grandfather. He has not done anything particularly special with his life worth merit, but what he has done is created a family who unconditionally loves him. This family consists not only of children and grandchildren but aunts, uncles, nieces, son in laws, and friends. To me this is his biggest achievement, and I hope that when I grow older I will have a family who is close to each other and who loves each other and will stand by each other through anything.

            Another thing that I would like to accomplish before the end of my life would be to have ethics, which I will stand by. This is valuable to me because my father has always taught me that success is nothing if you do not have ethics. As I began working in the real world and at school I realized that this is true. Its so much easier to get what you want if you take short cuts and hurt others but I would rather achieve what it is I want by being a good and honest person. This idea is not only important to me but also humanity because the reason our society runs the way it does is because there are some people with ethics who keep honesty alive. Without ethics our world would crumble and we would be wild.

            Before establishing exactly what my ethics are; however, another thing that I need to achieve is finding and defining myself. I do not know what I will find, and how I will find it but I hope that before I die I will know who I am. This idea of self-realization goes along with my happiness because I cannot be happy until I know who I am and what I am meant to do. At this moment I think that I know what I have to do, but this can easily change as I get older. Therefore, I hope that my life will be able to define me. I think that it is important for all of humanity that people find themselves because it gives people value and purpose, which in turn gives humanity value.

            One last thing that I truly want to accomplish before the end of my life would be to travel. Travel is important because it helps us accept other cultures and it helps our global awareness. Many problems in our world today were caused by the lack of knowledge and acceptance of other people, cultures, and religions. By traveling I hope to learn and understand the differences in our world. Among the countries I want to visit would be African countries and India.

            Although everyone has different goals in life, I believe that there are goals which are universal. I believe that we are all in our own ways looking for happiness. In my case, I hope that happiness, ethics, family, self-realization, and cultural acceptance will give my life value. I think that the search for the meaning of life has taken place since the beginning of time, and will continue forever. Our lives have been explained in many different ways over the years, whether it be through religion, myth, science, or medicine, we have always attempted to explain our existence. Maybe though, it is better to just live our lives and see where we are taken.

In order to answer these questions, I believe that it is important understand the history of heroes. Heroes were originally created as a form of propaganda. This is clearly seen in epics such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid. Gilgamesh represents the supreme power of the city of Uruk. Umma would have used this to flaunt his supreme power of all Sumerian city States but also to attract foreigners to join his empire. Homer used propaganda to glorify Greece. Odysseus represents the supreme power and courage of the Greeks. Similarly, Virgil uses his hero, Aeneas to glorify the Roman Empire and Augustus after a century of chaos and wars during the end of the Roman Republic. I think that people really needed these heroes at the time that they first appeared because these heroes invoked nationality and hope for a brighter future

As time went on many heroes stopped being used as propaganda and became used to inspire individuals rather than masses. Heroes became people that we can relate to and understand. Such is the case with Huckleberry Finn, Luke Skywalker, and Indiana Jones. I think; therefore, that when Bertolt Brecht said, “Unhappy is the land that needs heroes” she was right to a certain extent. Back in ancient cultures many people were unhappy. This is clearly seen in the case of The Aeneid, which was created in an attempt to reinstate hope in Virgil’s fellow Romans. A century of civil wars and murders of all significant politicians can easily drain a society of all hope. In that sense, I believe that Bertolt Brecht was correct in his speculation. However today our society is still being constantly presented with heroes and I do not think that we are unhappy. We simply enjoy reading or seeing people who we can only aspire to become.

But what is a hero? Heroic actions and behaviors have been defined differently throughout the history of heroes and it is therefore not simple to give a single universal definition for a hero. Having said so, and, for the intent of this blog, I believe that a hero is someone who prevails despite the circumstances he or she is faced with. Not only this but he or she also does so with a moral code. Many people would consider the protagonists of stories such as Beowulf, The Odyssey, Huckleberry Finn, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Raiders of the Lost Ark as heroes. I believe that this is true, to an extent.

            Take The Odyssey for example. The Odyssey is the epic from which the Homeric hero emerges. Odysseus is the very definition of strength and courage. He survives unimaginable obstacles despite having gods against him. He survives a shipwreck and then the sirens and even the Cyclops, he survives a all while clearly having Poseidon out to get him. Throughout his adventures Odysseus seeks to accomplish great deeds and he does so by taking charge of his own life. And though he may loss faith at times he pushes on with integrity and purpose. Even when Odysseus is with Calypso on her island he knows he must leave because, even though his wife will never be as beautiful as Calypso, the right thing to do is to return to her. And so, Odysseus becomes to first hero that our minds think of when heroes are mentioned.

            The Odyssey; however, was written over two thousand years ago, and since then heroes have changed. Mark Twain viewed heroes differently than Homer did. His view of heroes is expressed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn, though young, also survives the obstacle that life presents to him. From the moment that he decides to run away from his abusive and alcoholic father Huck continues to prove his heroism. Although Huck does not kill “bad guys” or save the world from mass destruction, he is still heroic because he survives his predicaments and he does so while changing others lives and his own.

            There are the characters we read about, and then there are the characters portrayed through cinema. While watching movies that are based off of books it is important to keep in mind that some aspects may have been changed, left out, or exaggerated. That being said, heroes appear on screen as well as off screen. In The Lord of the Rings, for example there are many protagonists, which have there own heroic attributes. Aragorn who may as well have been modeled after the Homeric hero, is strong, fast, royal, honest, and a true friend. Aragorn leads men in the fight for Middle Earth, he inspires hope in men who have none left, and he protects the ones he cares about. In this aspect Aragorn is a hero, he not only survives brutal war wounds, endless battles, and isolation but he also is an incredibly honest and ethical man. However, the true hero if The Lord of the Rings, in my eyes is Samwise Gamgee. Why? Without him, Frodo (who is often referred to as the hero of the series) would never have made it into Mordor, let alone three feet out of the Shire. Sam provides Frodo with friendship, hope, and purpose. When Frodo can no longer walk Sam carries him, when the ring is in danger of being found, Sam keeps it, this is the case throughout the series.

            So far I have only mentioned men as being heroes. I find it interesting that women are hardly ever mentioned as heroines. This is shocking because there is no reason why a woman cannot be a heroine. I think that this lack of female heroes throughout history can be attributed to many different things. The most important factor most likely being that women’s lives were not cared about until around the early twentieth century. Women were, and in some places still are, only meant to stay at home and produce offspring. They had absolutely no other role in society. They were ignored and abused for much of the history of mankind. Men were the leading figures of society and it only makes sense that it has been only men who have been represented as heroes. Representing a woman as a hero would have been preposterous and mocked until the last century. However, there have been heroines throughout history; such as, Mother Teresa, Angelina Jolie, and Jone of Arc.

            Another important factor in the exclusion of heroines throughout history is that women are not thought as being powerful. Men are heroes because they represent masculinity and sheer power whereas women, for all intents and purposes, represent virtually nothing other than fertility.

            In summary, heroes are men and women who survive the obstacles of life with integrity, and who can be idolized for it. It is therefore only fitting that the protagonists of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Lord of the Rings, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and The Epic of Gilgamesh are considered as heroes.