No Scrub

Such a variety of interesting and controversial topics were touched on in class and readings these past few weeks. Between Olaudah Equiano and Mary Wollstonecraft alone, there are plenty of debatable and considerable arguments made. In the case of Equiano, I feel as though his story,"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano" has either been under appreciated or forgotten just like that of Wollstonecraft simply because of the passage of time and the fact that "times are different." Now, I am not the type to beat a dead horse but I do think there is value in trying to comprehend the depth of man's shortcomings in the case of slavery and discrimination whether in regards to race or gender. As we become more aware of our hypocritical past mentalities, we are less likely to fall as deeply into destructive behavior of the sort but without correction as part of preventative methods, our past is capable of rearing its ugly head again and taking our minds and bodies captive. For example, how are Christians going to understand the depth of their past and current sin and our history of depravity as a human race unless we confirm the Old Testament? Now, if freedom from these sins come from recognition  of our wrongs and surrendering to Christ, it would make sense that acknowledging the past and working to fight that dark past is vital. Now how do Christians continue to fight sin? By remember the New Testament and the actions of Christ which set all believers free and provides them with power to overcome sin. A small glimpse of this freedom is seen in people re-acknowledging the past and continuing to battle that evil capacity within us which could be the allowance of sex-trafficking or discrimination by assuming stereotypes towards others. 

     Wollstonecraft was another author who revealed much through her "A Vindication of the Rights of Women." Her call to feminist rights through the destruction of a stereotype that was destroying the potential dreams of women around her stirred quite the reaction. Wollstonecraft was tired of seeing women around her succumb to this false personae as a woman who cares little for wisdom or intellectual matters, but is more concerned with appearance and attention from the males. I do agree that women should participate in intellectual matters and use their thoughts and intelligence towards the greater good, which for women, can be an easier mountain to overcome in dealing with interpersonal relationships. Hollywood has definitely continued to overdo the "ditziness" associated with many females but nowadays, can even overemphasize the independent and selfish mentality of a woman to serve herself and no other. All human beings are called to service whether they desire it or not. Women and men serve one another in some capacity daily whether they are aware of it or not. Reading this writing did remind me of information and research shared with my Honors Global Issues class from Dr. Bullard. According to Margaret Mead in her studies of the Tchumbuli people, the typical gender roles are reversed. What does this mean? Women are the hunters who don't see men as peers but inferior. They tend to take on a more rugged appearance with little regard to pleasing a man visually. On the other hand, men are the ones who desire to dress up and adorn themselves so that they may gain the interest of women when they aren't being the gatherers for their tribes. To me, this is an extremely odd and demonstrates just how far humans can wander off the path. I do believe that men are physically the stronger vessel but just like women, are made in the image of God and saved by the same grace. We are all given different gifts but in my own circumstance, I prefer to use my gift to form meaningful relationships with others by serving and loving them. I have no problem with womanly duties or working a full-time job but I do have a problem with a guy who does not consider his family to be his job to care for. In the words of TLC, "I don't want no scrub."

     In conclusion, I would like to end with a song by my favorite band. I have a feeling I have posted this song before but once more, it relates so well to my thought process while going over the struggles of Frederick Douglass as a slave to a freed man. Douglass spoke of how he felt chosen to represent and stand up for his brothers and sisters who were daily being born and dying into a world of slavery. People like Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr. found their callings and toiled daily in order to provide a better life for those that they would never meet in the future. Yet as satisfying as it may seem to toil, it is pointless without a calling. Someone can't be called unless someone is calling them. In the instance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Equiano, and Douglass, these men were called by God according to their views and I agree. The legacy and change that was brought wasn't possible with the help of just these few men alone. It took a much greater being to call them and help them fulfill that calling.

Interesting enough, the band above, Company of Thieves, is currently setting aside the band as Genevieve Schatz, the co-foudner and lead singer of the band, tours and performs some solo material. I am extremely excited about hearing what she has to bring. Regardless, it is quite the change. CHANGE. It's a scary yet comforting thing. I am extremely excited about new classes next semester serving as Vice President for my sorority and being one step closer to studying abroad in Spain yet I loathe the idea of close friends graduating and not see my honors family daily. I'm also despising the fact that I will more than likely be quitting my current job and applying for a new one. An inspirational young woman by the name of Corinne Bailey Rae once said in her hit single Put Your Records On "The more things seem to change, the more things stay the same. Oh, don't you think it's strange?" It took awhile to make sense but it most definitely does now since I've been in college. Looking at Equiano Douglass, and Wollstonecraft, I imagine they even felt the same way as they fought for freedom and equality among difference minority and ill-represented groups. Change is inevitable. Aging is inevitable. We aren't capable of stopping time. These means that we will either constantly be shocked and molded by the never ceasing change in our lives or become immune to the natural shock that comes with it. We choose.

     These past couple of weeks, we have focused on Jonathan Swift, Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire as well as Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Each of these meshed together various concepts floating around the globe and as philosophers, wisely crafted their own perceptions and conclusions concerning philosophical matters together into stories that have retained their popularity for some time now. Out of all of these authors and stories, the two that stood out the most to me were Voltaire and Rousseau. 

     Voltaire's "Candide" gave me a crick in my neck from all the moments where dialogue that was exchanged called for nothing but a simple shaking of the head. Yes. A bit extreme at times but definitely a true representation of how people still think today. I'm not completely opposed to the words of Pangloss or completely for them since there was truth spoken by each and every character presented by Voltaire. Candide, which can also be defined as optimism, reminds me of what American culture believes they would like to see in citizens. Why is that? Candide reveals an overwhelming sense of tolerance, open-mindedness, and optimism. Who wouldn't want to be patient and capable of dealing with the scenarios and opposition thrown at them? Who wouldn't want to be sincerely open-minded and respectful towards varying perspectives? Who wouldn't want to be considered a optimistic person rather than a pessimist who can only see the glade half empty? If there's no room for positive change or outlook, then how can we expect a positive progression? 

     Pococurante is another interesting character in Voltaire's story. This character appears to find no satisfaction in any of his possessions but seems to desire better, more, or has given up completely in there being any satisfaction in certain areas of life. It's super easy to laugh at Pococurante's ways or ridicule his greedy habits but how guilty are we as humans of this exact same thing? We may say it isn't true but our hearts do seem to think that bigger is always better. Is there true joy in being above everything? What happens once you've reached the top or capped out? Is there an everlasting satisfaction or a temporary happiness that slowly dwindles into discontentment from not having anything less to conquer? Are the richest people actually happy? Is there true contentment in a world that desires and builds bigger and better things that work as a catalyst for our greed? Pococurante did not seem satisfied or content with what we had but he definitely appeared demeaning and prideful towards those that believed in contrast to his thoughts and opinions. It's funny because that appears to be the normal human reaction when we feel that we are above something or extremely well versed into particular aspects of life. Pride. It's a dangerous thing.

Pride: a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

     A correlation that stuck out to me the most was at the very end of the story when the final purpose of life seemed to surround "cultivation" and nothing more or less. For some reason, a bible verse came to mind:

"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." James 2:26

     Faith apart from works is dead. I believe this could be what's missing in the lives of many. They live and cultivate but without any real purpose or motivation except that it may seem like the right thing to do or in the case of Candid, being told it's what you should and must do, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. What is the point of cultivation without purpose? What is expected to come from this sort of lifestyle? Disappointment maybe but otherwise, I believe there is an emptiness and feeling of ignorance that comes with working frivolously without purpose. Of course, we can learn to be content with this feeling and live and be merry for today for tomorrow we die. Will this change the final outcome of life? No, but for some people, truly living for something bigger than themselves without regards for themselves requires to much of a lack of interest in one's self.

     As I mentioned earlier, Rousseau was another interesting author to me. This could be because I could definitely see him being an INFJ but a hippy INFJ which is type of person I've never met before. Rousseau's imitations of St. Augustine's confessions in order to simply share and keep himself known (in my opinion) just makes me laugh a bit. His brutal honest about certain occasions makes me laugh. I love the honesty concerning his past loves, first experiences and understandings of his sexual nature, and more than that, his connection he had with family members that seems far stronger than most bonds between a boy his age and anyone. Rousseau was an extremely sensitive child. I believe he was an INFJ. Regardless of his Myers-Briggs type, Rousseau demonstrated a trait within all people that we either acknowledge or refuse to see because we are "too busy keeping it real."

    Rousseau reveals the dueling nature found within people as we fight for good when it seems we naturally feel like we are leaning towards doing bad. Rousseau's honesty about his struggles and embarrassing/slight inappropriate moments that he uses to try and truthfully represent his struggle with life. The way in which Rousseau wrote demonstrates his desire for individuality and chance to express himself with others. My obsession with his bravery in this probably originates from the fact that being truthful with about ourselves with ourselves and those around us is difficult and can be extremely uncomfortable for others. I'm beginning to experience the freedom of true and unbound thought sharing through my journal. After traveling to Peru, I became fond of journaling and feel that I can be most transparent with my thoughts to God when written out. Maybe this is what Rousseau felt as well. That writing out his thoughts gave him freedom, comfort, and assurance that he was being real with himself (for the most part). Overall, I think honesty stands out the most in theses pieces whether it's sincere or completely false. In life, we are constantly struggling to be honest with ourselves but more than that honest with others. We struggle with both because we want to please those around us as well as preserve our pride. Honesty will forever be a struggle of man.

"Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world is done by children." Oliver Wendell Holmes

After doing a presentation of Baudelaire and Voltaire, I felt the need to emphasize pride and the dangers and failures that come along with that mentality. Only in pride, can we declare "our feelings are hurt!" because in actuality, there's no such thing. The only thing that hurts is our pride. After speaking on the sincerity and openness found in Rousseau's writings. This semester, I've had the opportunity to share my testimony with numerous people and what a relief and struggle all in one to lay out my history and present whether it's good, bad, or ugly. There is a freedom and a weight that is lifted in confessing to others our everyday interactions that mean the most to us. More than that, it means much to have a listener. Someone who actually hears you is better than that. From this blog, I can say that Candide has challenged me to know myself better and what I believe and why to a greater extent. To argue with others? Not necessarily. I simply desire the peace that comes with a solid foundation that gives me peace to believe in and live according to.