A Man Out of His Time

In the poem, "Miniver Cheevy" by Edwin Arlington Robinson, the subject expresses a depressing emotion and that he hates his life. He mentions that he wishes that he would have never been born. This makes me, as a person sad, because I believe that every person should follow his dreams and make the most of their life. It is simply disheartening to hear how Miniver didn't accomplish what he wanted to. However, to make up for this depression that he has fallen into, he creates a fantasy. This fantasy being that he wishes he lived in Medieval times. He loathes and hates the present that he lives in and refers to many historical figures and dreams of being associated with them. I believe that this is good for him, it provides for him an alternate world to live in. However on the down side, it is not reality and dreaming of this fantasy could be doing the opposite of what he tries to do in the first place. It could be giving him more depression because the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he can't live in it. At the end of the poem, he realizes this and abandons the false reality and resorts back to drinking implying that he has done a lot of drinking before. In the end, if there is a lesson to learn from this poem, it is to make the most of your life and pursue your dreams before it is too late because its better to work hard to do what you like than to stand idly by and feel depressed about your life.

How Do We Treat Our Weakest Member?

In the short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin, an interesting concept is brought up. The question is can we live happy and peaceful lives while others suffer to make that life happy and peaceful? I think that many people live like this subconsciously. For instance, in the United States, many people live joyful and conflict-free lives, but they don't realize the amount of sacrifice put into the flourishing of their life. People in China work in extreme conditions to make items that seem almost useless in our eyes, but they sacrificed their time and health just to produce that seemingly "useless" item. I feel that once in a while, people that are more privileged than others should sacrifice for that less privileged person. After reading the two quotations listed below, I realized that our government neglects the children, the needy, the elderly, the poor, or the handicapped often more than not. Especially when someone is blatantly asking for help, it infuriates me that people simply disregard the people that need the most help. I am for sure guilty as well, we are all guilty. Even people that think they are innocent have disregarded someone in need once in their life. Although it is not exactly easy to sacrifice for another, it should still be done especially by those who we consider as role models and leaders. So I leave you with a question to ask yourself: How do I react, when someone less fortunate asks for sacrifice?

"...the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. " ~ Last Speech of Hubert H. Humphrey

"A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Digging Deeper

Over the summer, I read an intriguing poem by Seamus Heaney entitled, "Digging". In this poem, Heaney describes how his father grandfather dug and worked to provide for the family. While Heaney recollects these memories of his father and grandfather digging, he himself is in a personal conflict. He sits at his desk with a pen in his hand as if he were confused. It seems as if Heaney feels guilty because his parents and grandparents worked their butts of to provide for him and all he can do is write. In my life, I watch my mom and dad work extremely hard to provide for my family, but all I feel as if all I can do is let them "dig" for me. This situation is very similar to the situation Heaney is put in. As Heaney finishes the poem, he realizes that he is not useless to the family. His father and grandfather dug to get him where he is in that moment and Heaney should use the gifts that they gave him. If he feels guilty and doesn't use the gift of education that has been bestowed upon him, all of his parent's and grandparent's "digging" has been for nothing. So with the gift that he has, he chooses to write with his pen as if his father was digging with his shovel. As a solution, in my life, I try to make the most of my time at school, challenging myself, and taking advantage of opportunities. It is the same situation, if I don't use the gifts I have been given, all my parent's work would have been in vain. So I leave you, the reader, with a few final words. If someone dug you a hole, jump in it and dig a little deeper.

George Saunders's Commencement Speech Review

As I reread George Saunders's speech, I began to think to myself, what kind of person am I? I’d like to think I’m kind enough to others. I’d like to think I’m the best person that I can be. But as I read his speech, I begin to realize that this level of kindness and success that I am at right now, if i try, I can go further. Way further. I try to think of some kind acts that I have done in the past week or so and I remember saying “Hey,” to a new freshman who was sitting alone. I should have not just said “Hey,” I should have introduced myself, sat down with him, asked him his name, interest hobbies, made him feel not just part of a community like Sage’s but feel wanted. When Saunders mentions that the people who are kindest to us are the people who we remember the most, I couldn't agree more. I will strive to be like the people who are kindest to me in my life and in turn feel successful and happy with myself as a person. What also moved me about Saunders’s speech was when he touched upon that success is hard and does not just happen and succeeding and succeeding and kindness are two things that a person grows with as they get older. I take comfort in the fact that I could be kinder and/or more successful when I get older. Not only that, but it also feeds me with the desire to work hard to become successful and kinder. And when I am older, I will not look back on bad experiences and frown, I will smile with the intent that I know I learned something through that experience and it will make me into the person I am then.

Welcome!

Hello Everybody! Thank you for visiting my blog. I am Cameron, a sophomore at Sage Hill School and I created this blog in hopes that other people would either get a kick out of my writing or experience the same experiences that I do. I believe that writing can be a powerful thing, something that can change a persons mood with just a few sentences. Anyways, I encourage you to read all my stories/insight/commentaries that i post here and check back every week or so. Thank you again for visiting my blog, I hope you have a good quack!