Weekly Blog: Week 24

It's incredible, the emotions we can evoke through art. It's equally incredible that one can be so passionate in creating it. In this video, a woman creates piece after piece using only sand. She has disciplined herself in timing and is completely involved in her work, while she throws sand with great emotion. It is inspiring to see such a talented woman being properly appreciated by a teary eyed audience. She controls their feelings with every movement of her hand and uses that power to create a beautiful moment. In relation to Heart of Darkness, this is what some of us are capable of, under the right circumstances.

Weekly Blog: Week 23

As I sat in the passenger seat of my boyfriend's car this weekend, I asked why he wasn't using the windshield wipers. He told me he was thinking about the way our brains are able to see past these droplets of water and complete an image, despite our only seeing a percentage of the scene. We often take for granted these incredible abilities, as well as others that exist within us. People are quick to wipe away their talents, for whatever reason, may it be that others won't approve or that they just don't consider them to be special, and this is truly unfortunate. If we all noticed something about ourselves, and held on to it, and used a talent unique only to us in order to create a stronger character or benefit another person, we would all be in a better place. If we noticed the things we tend to ignore, we could appreciate life that much more.

Weekly Blog: Week 22

Yesterday, I went to Raphael House in San Francisco, a homeless shelter for families. I am part of a volunteer group that raises funds for homeless children to buy school clothes as well as awareness in the community. We watched a video at the Raphael House compiled of clips showing the lives of homeless children and the ways they interpret and respond to their situations. One boy of eleven compared his life to a game of chess; he said "one wrong move and you could lose everything," deep thought for a fourth grader. He spoke about how he has been homeless for the last five years. That's almost half his life. I can only imagine how transferring between schools, moving around, and not knowing where his next meal would come from could affect a person. His attitude, as well as those of the other children, was optimistic and strong. When faced with hardships, we can act in countless ways, a majority of them being not beneficial, or even ruinous. This young boy has somehow found a way to adapt to his family's lifestyle, with strength and much intellect. While most look down upon the homeless, or anyone out of place in society, I can only aspire to have character such as this kid.