1 post from July 2008

So life has been crazy since like before my birthday (June 24), and it wont slow down probably for the next month. I have made a trip to NC, worked a week at Camp Inagehi, took a trip to Arkansas/FHU, two trips to Statesboro to find a job and an apartment have left me with less than a week before I move to Statesboro and start work, then school. After moving down there, I am planning a last trip to NC before Lauren goes to Europe for 3 months, a trip to Florence, AL where I am going to be in my best friend Jerrod's wedding, and possibly a trip home to say by to Jake Askey, who is going to Marines basic training for a couple of months. With my many travels, I have had a good many hours to think, meditate, and philosophize. Here is just a glance at my thoughts/conclusions:

Decisions:
Living our lives day-to-day, we really dont think about how each little decision has an effect on our lives and other people's lives in general. I dont necessarily think it is a bad thing, because doing so has just made me feel sometimes overwhelmed with life, and that our purpose isnt to review each decision, but make a good decision each time that we have one and in the back of our minds realizing that it does have more than affect than we think it might be.

Social Classes/Lifestyles/Expectations:
Growing up, I have had an expectation of the standard of living that I will have when I get older. Most of the time it is similar or better than what I had growing up. While in Statesboro and while driving home yesterday, I really thought about this subject. There was a girl in the apartment office who's application was denied because of bad credit. She was even qualified to get an apartment that I thought (though I am going to live there) was somewhat substandard. While driving through a "lower income" part of a town in middle Georgia, it hit me that people were ok with living in these living situations "substandard" to my view of how I want to live. I think that a lot of people in the USA have that problem, with me at the head of the line. I think I am scared that I view myself as a failure because I do not have what the Joneses have. I think about how lucky I am to have gone to college, and it never was really a question about if I was going to go. It just makes me stop and reexamine myself when I realize that some people dont even think about college...its not even an option for them, yet we (myself and that person) are living in the same country and live in the same state/town.

Growing Up:
I officially dont like growing up. There is just too much responsibility.

Dilemma/Moral Question:
You get hit over the head with a blunt instrument and when you awaken from being unconscious, you find yourself in a concrete room with a locked metal door, and a bulletproof window. Also in the room is a 5 year old child, tied to a chair in the center of the room as well as a large knife in the corner. You look through the window and see on the other side of the glass that there are 10 more 5 year old children tied to 10 different chairs, just like the child in your room. A man walks in the other room and he starts speaking over an intercom that is connected to your room. He says, "In your room, there is a knife. You have the option to kill the child in your room with that knife. If you decide not to kill the child, then I will kill the 10 children here in this room with me. If you decide to kill the child, then the 10 children here in this room will not be killed/will be released. You have 5 minutes to make your decision." What would you decide to do?

[I will post pictures of my apartment once I get settled in]