Mom vs. Dad

This week in class we had seminars on Sarah Vowell’s and Brad Manning’s essays titled “Shooting Dad”, and “Arm Wrestling with my Father”, respectively. Both of these essays had a similar father-child relationship theme. During our class seminars, we discussed our relationships with our fathers and our mothers. I have a very different relationship with my dad than I do with my mom. For instance, I am a daddy’s girl. My dad is super sweet to me (besides when he is trying to get me to study for ACTs) and he spoils me, where as my mom is not afraid to tell it how it is. If my mom is mad, she’s mad and will make it obvious, my dad, on the other hand, will try to ignore it. Another example of how my relationship with my parents differs is that I get in a lot more fights with my mom than my dad. My theory is that I can be more open with my mom about things, for example I can rant to her and gossip and all that, and all that shared information is a basis for more topics to argue about. In contrast, my dad would rather hear about how I did on my tests, rather than what my friends and I do on the weekends. Finally, another major way my parents’ relationships differ with me is, my mom will go shopping with me for clothes and basically anything, while my dad only handles electronics and sports equipment.

Even thought I have a different bond with my mom than with my dad, my love for them is the same.

                                

                                 I always see this picture around the internet and I find it funny!

Donald Zolan

Donald Zolan

The warm, afternoon sun caresses the child
As she strolls through the vast sea of yellow dandelions.
The cool summer grass tickles her delicate feet.
She joyously plucks the dandelions from the ground
Believing she can capture their beauty forever.

But she doesn't know.

The child spends all day in the sun

Enjoying the peace and tranquility.

Only the jubilant songs of the Robins break the silence.

The sun's warm rays grace every inch of the meadow.

The child is happy, she has no worries.

But she doesn't know.

A gentle summer breeze carries the scent of moss and soil

From the dark woods behind her.

Her mother's warnings about the woods ring in her innocent ears

So she does not dare to venture into the dark forest. 

She is safe.

But she doesn't know.

One day she will grow tired 

Of picking the same old weeds, from the same old field.

The flame of desire and unrest will ignite and grow.

She will turn against her mother's word,

And enter the woods. 

There she discovers, from the decaying leaves and tree stumps,

Beauty does not last forever.

The woods are dark and damp. She cannot see where she is headed.

She becomes lost. She worries that she won't find her way home. 

She hears the crisp snap of branches behind her. She is not safe. 

The world beyond the field is terrifying. 

Now she knows. 

Be Yourself

This week in class we read a piece by Amy Tan titled “Fish Cheeks”. I really related to this piece, not only because I am Asian, but also because I have gone through some of the same experiences she has. It is almost frightening how similar some of my life is to hers. As I have expressed in a previous post, I am kind of a white-washed Asian, but I don’t know whether to like that or not. I have been told a few times by my friends that they forgot I was Asian or that I was basically white, and whenever that happens I literally have no idea how to respond. Usually I just laugh or change the subject. I don’t know whether to take it as a compliment or be slightly offended. I know they probably think they are complimenting me because they think I want to be white, but on the other hand, it is a signal that I am separating from my heritage. After reading Amy Tan’s piece and Maya Angelou’s, and Sherman Alexie’s, I realize that I want to get to know my heritage better, rather than suppressing it. Usually I get very uncomfortable when my parents start to speak Chinese to me in public, but I have decided that should embrace my language and speak it back to my parents. I can never be completely white or completely Asian (in a cultural way); I just need to be myself and find a happy medium J.

Carpe Diem

In her piece, "Diasbility", Nancy Mairs made a statement that really stood out to me. In her last paragraph, Mairs ultimately says that we (able-bodied people) will all become disabled at some point in our lives. After thinking about this for a bit, I understood how true that statement was. At any point in our lives, we could become disabled, so for those of us who are lucky enough to be born able-bodied, we should not take any moment of our able-bodiedness for granted. For example, we should explore and go out and do the things on our bucket lists while we are young and abled, before we become crippled with age. We should cherish our health while we have it. None of us know what will happen to us tomorrow, which sounds extremely cliche, but it's true - unless, you're Raven Baxter, of course. Now, I'm not saying we should all act like the Dauntless from Divergent and throw ourselves from trains to get our adrenaline pumping, but we should do things we love and make the most out of everyday. 

Even if you do have a disability, don’t let it define you. You are in control of yourself; you should not let anything hold you back from doing what you’re passionate about. One person that came to mind when I read “Disability” was Nick Vujicic. For those of you who do not know who he is, he is a man that was born without arms or legs. He is such an inspiration for so many people in the world, because despite his disability he has accomplished so much. For starters, he can swim; play soccer; fish; and golf, all with no limbs. Nick recently got married too, which is something he didn’t think was possible when he was younger. He didn’t let his disability limit him from doing things that any one else does. He is truly an inspiration.

One thing that I have taken from reading Nancy Mairs' piece, is that we should be grateful for what we have and even if there is something wrong, we should not let it define us.