The big rocks

What is important to you? Do we really ask ourselves what is important to us, or do we let our society control us by having certain expectations for us? Yesterday, Sal was telling us a metaphorical story about priorities. An empty jar must be filled in with big rocks first before anything else because they might not fit in later on. After hearing this, I'm really conscious if my big rocks are my own choice, and not pebbles, sand, nor water that society expects me to have. Like in the movie we watched this week, "Tuesdays with Morrie." The movie is about a successful sports writer named Mitch Albom, and his favorite collage/sociology teacher, Morrie. It touches on Mitch's midlife crisis, and he's looking for Morrie's advice on love, and many other more. His dilemma is between the love of his life, and his work. Seeing as how Mitch values work the most because that's what he grew up learning, he realizes that his big rocks isn't as important as marrying his girlfriend. Why was he in this situation in the first place? I believe that our American culture has socially constructed our reality so that we numb ourselves with vulnerability. Who wants to get hurt right? With this thought in mind, who'd want to love? People avoid love to avoid pain, but at the same time we deprive ourselves of happiness we could've achieved. Like a good man once said, "The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” - Bob Marley

culture

This week in sociology, we read the 13 values Americans live by. This is a short reading about the differences Americans may have towards other cultures. It basically touches on the general social norms within America. Although this teaches foreigners what and what not to do, there are still little things that are made into norms within our own country divided into different types of groups whether its by state, company, school, or role in society. As a foreigner, the cultural differences between the Philippines and America isn't as different, or should I say it's starting to change. I noticed that my country is kind of adapting to the American culture. This is why the older and younger generations in my country are totally different because the older people wants the same traditional system for everything, but the younger people, like Americans, wants change. This is probably also the reason for the arguments I get with my parents because they are old fashioned, and as a growing teen in America, its really hard to agree to their ways especially if I see something wrong with it. Ultimately, people should learn to understand each others culture to understand each other.

cultural differences

This week, in sociology, we watched a movie about the lost boys of Sudan. The movie really opened my eyes to how lucky I am in terms of living with a family, and needs provided for me. While I get to cherish my childhood, these boys were forced out of their own country leaving their families. Having no adult to take care of them, the lost boys pulled through by depending on one another. Through thick and thin, the boys strived to survive up till this day in a neighboring country. Some of the lost boys were given the opportunity to make a living in the U.S. Throughout the movie, there were alot of cultural differences that they felt. Most of the problems they encountered was with new technology. They didn't know what anything was in ones house that would be considered normal by us. It's really amusing too see how someone reacts to something they've never seen before. But since the Sudanese grew up in a different environment, they were well aware of what we, Americans, do that we might not even notice since we consider it a norm. They especially criticized how Americans are very lonely. I, coming from another country, can see that Americans live a lonely and concealed life because back where I used to live, people would always be in each others business trying to help solve each other. Whilst here, it would be considered rude to be nosy even with your friends. Soon, I stopped noticing all of that, and it became normal to me as it is to you as I adapt to live here. And even if there are things like this that are different, who is to decide which lifestyle is right?