College Experience

Lately, I have been questioning this statement " college experience". What is it? My whole life I've been raised and taught that college is an amazing experience you only get once, that it is the best four years of your life. Well, now that I am in my third year, I am beginning to realize that I do not want nor have I ever wanted the typical " college experience". To me, so many of my peers, believe that college is only a place where you get drunk, have sex, and just do not care. To me, however, that is not the case. I believe that it is a place to learn, to grow, to explore. It is a place where you find out who you are or who you aren't. It should be taken as a great adventure. When I tell people I live at home, and that I go to a school that is in the same city I grew up in, they often think I must be miserable. Though, that is true to an extent, I've learned to deal with the cards I've been dealt. Granted, the school I attend was never my dream college, and I do live in my mom's basement. At the same time, if I had gone to a different school or even lived on campus, I would not be the same person I am today. College is a place that shapes you. Hopefully, you realize that. It's a place where anything can happen. You make it what it is. Whether you are surrounded by amazing people, or people who you never want to aspire to be like. Either way, you learn something, you realize some things for yourself. It is something that should not be taken lightly. So many people in the world never have the opportunity to go attend college, yet we treat it as a norm, something that you " deserve". I hate to tell you, but in all reality, you don't deserve a single thing. So instead of treating it like just one giant party, I think my peers, society, and even I do, need to realize what it is truly for. It is a place to learn. To help you learn how to help yourself and others. I guess for me, I'll never have a typical " college experience" and that's okay. As long as I realize what I have gained and can leave my four years at the University of Dayton as a better, more well rounded person.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH2Z_1-Frb8

Bookends.

Often times in today's society and world, I feel that many people do not view life in the way that they should. We live our lives day to day not realizing what it could be or what it should be. We often settle for something because it seems easy or perhaps the only option. Instead, we should realize that we only get one chance to make things happen. To make life what it should be. When I ask my peers why they are studying what they are, I often hear " because I know I'll be safe, secure and wealthy." I rarely hear " because it makes me happy." The sad thing is, people of my generation and of today's society do not necessarily grasp that what you do for a living does indeed make you who you are. Most Americans work roughly eight hours out of the day and sleep eight hours out of the day meaning there is only eight more hours to enjoy free time. I never understand and believe I never will understand, why someone would want to spend roughly a third of their life on doing something they truly do not love. Life should be filled with passion, curiosity, happiness and endless possibilities. Some may call my " philosophy" that of a dreamer. Which to some maybe I am. What I am trying to say is that life is too short to do something for money or safety. People should do something with their lives that they love. You cannot take money with you when you die. Though, money does run our lives, it shouldn't dictate what we do. If you are happy with who you are and what you do then it should not matter how much money you make. Life should not be about the pay check you bring home every week, it should be about the memories you make. No one should cut themselves short and think that they can only do one thing with their life. We live so long yet so short. There is no time to dwell on what should have been. I feel that today's society is a negative and regretful place that has no hope for themselves or the future. We, as a society, spend too much time worrying about what should have been or what could have been instead of focusing on what we, as a people, have. Though it may sound rather cliche, people should open their eyes to the endless possibilities in front of them. They should truly think about who they are and what they want to become and not just do what is the easiest or the safest thing. We only get one chance to live our lives. Why not make it the best we can?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOR6p1o2hPI

Religion. What is it?

Who are you to say to me that I am nothing new?
Did you ever take the precious time to step back from that pew?
Who are you to say to me that you are better suited?
Did you ever think that maybe your glorious thoughts should be muted?
Who are to say to me that book should be my life?
Did you ever see the pain of countries struggling strife?
Who are you to tell me my life is full of sin?
Did you ever stop and look at just who you have been?
Who are you to tell me the truth has already been found?
Did you ever really think about what happens when you're in the ground?
Before you sit and judge me, point your fingers back at you
Because in the end, none of us have a clue.

That poem was written a few months ago and I feel it pretty much describes my views on religion. For years I have struggled with my faith. Growing up in a household that was not based on religion or religious teachings, it has been hard for me to grasp many of the main ideals and concepts the majority of society is based on. I call myself " agnostic"because I simply do not know what to believe. I have been to church, youth groups, read religious teachings and books and even attend a Catholic university. Yet, I am still unsure what to believe. All religions claim to be the " right one". If that was true, then all religions would be wrong. There are too many people, too many different people, for only one faith to be the " right " one. To me, religion is something between you and the higher being. It is not something that should be boasted or forced on others. It is about a relationship that you have with the higher being. Religion should be something that protects you, that allows you to feel safe. It should be something that accepts you no matter what and something that does not pass judgment. No one in this world is perfect. No one is morally sound. We all have our imperfections, our flaws. Why do some people of faith believe they are better than others? Why do some people of faith cast the first stone of disapproval? Those are questions that I ponder on an almost daily basis. It baffles me that someone whom I have never had a true conversation with, can sit back and judge the type of person I am simply because I have a differing view of faith than they do. On more than one occasion, this has happened. Just because I am different, it automatically makes me a " sinner" or a " non believer". I am not going to try to say that I have never passed judgment on someone, but what I am saying, is religion, faith, should not be about the negative aspects of a persons character, or how other people choose to live their life. It should be about you and God. Simple as that. A person of faith should not focus on the things, the people, that they cannot change. Instead, they should focus on making their bond stronger. They should realize that everyone is different. Everyone has different beliefs and views on life. A person should not pass judgment on a person simply because they do not understand their way of living. Instead, they should realize the differences that make this world of ours go round. Faith is not something that should be forced on someone. It is not something that should be used as a catalyst for hate. To me, faith is something that should be accepted by the individual and used for love and a sense of security. Often times, people who are in my position are faced with challenges when they are face to face with people of faith. Those challenges often make them question religion and in certain cases make them afraid or have a dislike towards the topic. Religion should not have that affect on a person. Instead of people of faith and non faith battling over who is right, they should take a step back and try to understand where the other group is coming from. They both should realize that religion is something that is intended for good not for hatred. It is not suppose to be used as a tool to instill fear in the " non believers". It should not be used to separate the human race. I think that until this is realized, the battle of religion will continue. Until people actually realize others beliefs, there will be no resolution in the nearing future. Though some may view that as a pessimistic outlook, it is one of truth.

maggie's farm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYpdKxVpAV4

This song was the inspiration for my blogs title. You may be asking yourself, "why would she pick such an " outdated song"?" The answer is simple. It describes exactly how I feel about society or at least how I feel society should be. I hear people of my generation often complaining about the lack of opportunities that we are presented with. Yet, I have yet seen one person stand up for the rights that we have. I am not saying that I, myself, do not complain about the same trivial concepts as my peers, but what I am saying is it is about time we did something about it. Instead of allowing ourselves to " work on Maggie's farm", we should be standing up to the injustices that we face on a daily basis. Instead of complaining about our rights not being heard, we should stand up for our rights. My generation should take a lesson from the generations that came before us. Instead of being " hipsters", or a subculture of middle to upper class youth who pride themselves on being ironic, their love of coffee, plaid shirts, and obscure music, films and books; my generation should be more like " hippies", or the subculture of youth in the 1960's that rejected established institutions and values, prided themselves on love and togetherness and allowed their voices to be heard through protests, songs and various writings. The main difference I see between " hipsters" and " hippies", is the fact that " hipsters" do nothing about the problems they complain about. They sit in their coffee shops criticizing the world around them and yet do nothing to change it. It has become a vicious cycle of apathy towards our way of life. Instead of meeting at coffee shops to complain, we should be meeting to talk about ideas for change. We should be planning protests, we should be writing songs, we should be writing what we want to happen. We shouldn't settle for a lifestyle we feel is not fit. My generation should reject the societal norms and ideas that suppress us, instead of being content with them. The generation I am apart of should think about the life that they are leading. They should ponder the possibilities of what life would be like if we " didn't want to work for Maggie's farm no more".