Nature #4

Where to go? That was my question when thinking about how to carryout this Emersonian experiment. To the hiking trail? No, I do not want to come in contact with snakes. To the wooded area near my house? No, because it is surrounded by streets and the noise of cars would take away from absolute silence. I realized then we lived in a very industrialized place. But I knew where I wanted to go- the beach. It is one of my favorite places to go and since I live so close to it, I go there a lot during the spring, summer and even fall, but I had not been in awhile. 

Due to the fact it is a public beach, I was not alone. But because it was winter, fortunately there were not packs of tourists sunbathing in speedos across the sand and screaming to their kids down in the water, which would really ruin the experience for me. I sat in my jeans and sweatshirt and watched the water for awhile. I tried being like Emerson, not thinking about anything in particular but watching nature. The waves had a very rhythmic crash to them, one after the other like a very, very slow metronome. It was fairly foggy and grey out, and the waves were dark and sort of salty looking. It is hard to explain every color I saw in the waves, but there were so many different hues and tones. The best was watching the horizon. It was a perfectly straight line distinguishing between the ocean and the sky. 

After awhile of trying not to think, my mind started wandering. I thought about how much work I had to do, and how cold it was outside, and how I really should be getting back home. I was getting very antsy and checked the time, which I know I should not have done. I had only been out for 15 minutes. I put another jacket on and forced myself to go back to my prior state of mind, and watched the waves. I saw a seagull, a bird that I find the most obnoxious after pigeons and crows. It scooped down into the waves and came up again and sailed over the water. I found myself wondering what it would be like to be a bird for a day. Ever since I was little my favorite super-power was the ability to fly. I imagined what it would be like for the seagull: flying over the ocean, picking up fish whenever it wanted, sleeping wherever it wanted, even going to the bathroom literally wherever it wanted. It was strange, but it made me think how diverse nature on the beach was. I really liked this assignment because it let me relax and take advantage of the nature we often take for-granted in everyday life.

Emersonian Friendship #3

Last Thursday I spent one whole school day being an "Emersonian Friend." Because he outlines so many different ways to be a good friend, I had to narrow it down to one. I decided to be completely straightforward and honest with everyone. That does not mean I went around telling everyone how I felt about them, but if one of my friends was being irrational or asked my opinion on something, I would tell them. It seems like a fairly easy task, but when you get down to it, it's hard to be a voice of reason and reality when things get stressful. 

This was a very stressful week for a lot of people; the first week back from Thanksgiving break and only two weeks left before Christmas. I know many people were worrying about upcoming cumulative test, sport games, and just an overload of work in general. One of my friends, lets call her "Marina," was having a tiny mental breakdown during one of our free periods. "Ah, I am going to fail Chem, not get into college and die!" Now obviously, we both knew she was not going to die just because she failed a test. But I felt it was my duty as an Emersonian friend to be sincere with her. As Emerson said "A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud." So this is exactly what I did. "Marina, you are not going to die. You have studied hard for this test and if you do not do well it is not the end of the world. I am sure there are some extra credit options. One bad grade on a test does not mean you won't get into college." My advice to her was to calm down because to be stressed before a test is not good, and to take each class one step at a time. I relaxed her a bit, but still she was stressed.

This day showed me how important some of Emerson's points on  friendship are. Not just being sincere, but being honest when people asked me how I felt, or how their hair looked, or simply listening to them while they rant was really helpful for my friends. I could see potentially how being this honest towards people could cause problems. Sometimes we need to tell a little white lie just to make people feel better, although I am sure Emerson would not agree. Imagine a world based upon Emerson's Friendship Essay. It would be totally different. People would be way more down to earth and no one would worry about hurting someone else's feelings because they were just being honest. 

Gifts Post #2

According to Emerson, one should give gifts that took time to make. They should be from the heart and the gift should be part of yourself. Not an impersonal gift card. Material possessions are no good unless they are somting personally made with meaning or purpose. Emerson would say buying jewelry for someone is not acceptable, but if you are a blacksmith and made it yourself, then it is fine. The giver should not expect gratitude after giving the gifts. If the giver receieves a thanks, it gives them too much superiority. One should give a gift not expecting anything in return.
One should not be too emotional when receiving gifts. If one likes it too much then it shows he/she likes the "commodity" more than the actual person. Emerson tells us that jewelry (in general) is not an exceptable gift even though it seems that way in society. In society, there is a never-ending gift cycle. People are more concerned with giving an equal amount to what they are recieving when really one should not care for something in return. We should not constantly be in "gift debt."
With the holidays coming up, it is very interesting to think about what would happen if I decided to beome a gift-giver and reciever in Emrsonian terms. I would not go out and buy a gift for my brother and friends, but instead have to make something or do something clever. This would be extremely difficult and take a lot of time and effort to find the perfect gift for them. Often I have trouble finding gifts for people, so making my own would be a good idea. In regards to my parents, when I was little, I would always make a gift for them; they were never bought. I would take construction paper and draw/paint them a card, then decorate a plate or pot for them. We have tons of ceramic pots at home from when I was little. As I got older, I became lazier. I still always make them a card instead of buying one, but rarely to I make them a gift. If I became an Emersonian gift-reciever, I am sure my parents would be a bit taken aback. If I did not say thank you, then it would be considered rude. If I do not show a little emotion when recieving gifts from others, they might think I do not like it.
It is hard to remember the best "Emersonian" gift I have ever recieved. I do not know if this is truely what Emerson was talking about, but I have to say that I get an Emersonian gift every year when my mom makes me breakfast. It seems trivial, but it is something home-made and definitely time-consuming. Often she will make me vanilla-cinnamon-blueberry pancakes, fruit and fresh sqeezed OJ. It really starts of my morning well.

Self-Reliance Post #1

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."
-Emerson

Your mind is the most important tool you have, therefore you must use it. This quote is saying how integrity and honor that one has in himself are the most sacred things humans have. Everyone talks about the importance of "believing in yourself" and "trusting your judgment," but this quote sums up the meaning behind sayings such as these. One's own faith in himself is what leads him on in life; without it one could not live up to his full potential. Integrity of mind is important because often we have to make decisions in our life that come down to having faith in taking that next step. When it all comes down to it, trust in ourselves and our choices guide us through life. With every chance we take, with every step in an attempt to succeed, we are trusting out decisions therefore we have integrity. However it is a sort of cycle, because one of our life goals is to find this integrity within us. It comes with experience, trust, and the drive to move forward and succeed in life. We need these things to find this "integrity of mind."
I like this quote a lot because the idea also relates to Emerson's Friendship essay. He tells us that we must have confidence in ourselves to be a good friend to someone else. A good friend must have the ability to be comfortable alone for a bit without the constant company of someone else. In this way, learning to be self-assured is part of not only becoming a good friend but of growing up in general. I know a lot of people who constantly have to be with someone else in order to be happy. They cannot be alone. They need a buddy to study, a buddy to walk with them, even a buddy to go to the restroom. It is very important to be able to be comfortable with yourself and fine with being alone occasionally.