Rejection

Image credit: Sigurd Decroos

One of the things I love about preschoolers is how real they are. They've only been on this earth for a few years, and most of their time here has likely been spent in a loving home with a loving family. They haven't had enough time to experience a lot of rejection. Because they haven't been rejected much, they don't have many of the social barriers that humans naturally develop as they age. They commit faux pas such as picking their nose, passing gas, or crying in public without a second thought or any feeling of abashment. Preschoolers will very easily let you know if they're upset or let you know if they love you, things that become harder and harder as life goes on.

As we grow and experience more, we learn to put barriers around ourselves. We learn to hide parts of ourselves. At school, work, home, play, everywhere, we're constantly bombarded with subtle and not-so-subtle messages that we're not good enough, smart enough, good-looking enough, etc. Some friendships that we think will last forever fall apart. People are human, life happens, and the sum of our experiences teaches us that we need to be careful with who we trust and careful with who we give our heart to.

Help, Please!

Image credit: Ryan, www.jorymon.com

Christmas is coming. I must confess that although I used to love Christmas, I'm not a huge fan of it anymore. I concur with the Charlie Brown and Stan Freberg school of thought that the holiday has become too commercial. The true meaning of Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, gets a bit lost with all the decorations, Santa, and presents. Plus, in an ideal world, I would prefer it if we could give each other presents as surprises out of love or because of accomplishments rather than a couple of set times each year. However, I also understand that having a set time like Christmas is useful because it might be easy to forget to give loved ones presents otherwise.

Anyway, odds are that this time of year, you're going to hear someone say, "It's better to give than receive." It's one of those phrases that everyone says but not everyone necessarily believes. I mean, let's face, it's pretty awesome when you get a gift that someone obviously put a lot of time and thought into. A gift that tells you that the giver really loves you a lot. In that case, is it really better to give than receive?

Better than Real?

Image credit: Lifetouch

Nowadays, children or their parents can pay extra money to have photographers digitally remove blemishes from their school photos. That's disgusting. Let me elaborate. Ever since high school, I've had a fair amount of zits on my face. On picture day of my senior year, I had the good fortune of having an enormous pimple on my nose. I could've paid more (or more likely, asked my mom to pay more, lol) to have it removed, but I didn't consider it seriously. I mean, the main reason for school photos and most other photos is to preserve memories, right? Why would I want to preserve a memory that isn't real? I had a zit that day, it's on the picture, and to this day, you can see that picture in all of its 8" x 10" pimply glory in my mom's dining room. That is a real memory. Unfortunately, we live in a society that seems to favor "fakeality" over reality.

I've already mentioned how digitally altered photos preserve fake memories, but there's something else I want to discuss with regards to photographs - the myth of the perfect body. Newsflash: in case the word "myth" didn't clue you in, there is no such thing as a perfect body. Every culture and time period has a different definition of beauty. To me, I can only find one thing in common with the various definitions: achieving beauty is painful, time-consuming, and dangerous. Today, individuals with a certain body type are photographed and celebrated as being incredibly beautiful, making the majority of people without that body type feel ugly. Further adding to this disgusting practice is the fact that models are also digitally "enhanced." Modern women suffer from body image issues and eating disorders. Some modern men have body image issues, but I'd have to say that they're biggest problem along these lines is porn addiction. They become addicted to looking at fake women. Who benefits from perpetuating the myth of the perfect body? Well, take a look at this video from a famous doctor of cultural commentary. So, yeah, in today's society, diet and exercise fad salesmen benefit.

Vote For Me!

Image credit: Gary Mcinnes

Ok, I've been trying to avoid writing about politics on this blog, but the political atmosphere in the country right now is driving me crazy, so I have to write something. I've got so much to say on this issue that I hope I don't ramble, but what it all boils down to is I think it's incredibly important for people to question their own beliefs.

The other day, a friend of mine posted a picture of an Abraham Lincoln quote (which, as it turns out, was never actually said by Abe Lincoln) on Facebook. We both posted a few comments on it back and forth, and then he said it was a good quote even though Lincoln didn't say it, "But quotes don't create anything other than a feel good confirmation of an already set bias. People don't speak to persuade or listen with the intent to question their belief. They speak to hear themselves speak and listen for anything to justify their views; ALL people not just Democrats or Republicans or Mormons or athiests. All people."