Life is Eden, Not a Scoreboard

Our actions are indelible. Nothing that we do can make it so past actions are eternally negated and forgotten about. Yes, we can do things to make up for previous flubs, we can do good to alleviate our guilt for things we've done in the past. Life is not a scoreboard. But then again, who's keeping score?

Doing a bad thing does not make you "a bad person", and working for charity does not make you "a good person," either. Of course, this begs the question, what is a person? and How do we, why should we rank or measure up ourselves? Sorry. That was off-topic. For the sake of actually getting this done, I'm going to forgo the soapbox philosophy rant. 

No, I do not think that any actions can totally annihilate other actions. Yes, we can fix problems we've caused, depending on the problem, but that does not mean that the initial action never occurred. And sometimes you can't even fix the problem completely. You can't bring a person back to life. You can't allow a civilization to reach the full potential it might have if you had helped it out more after it was hit by, say, a typhoon. 

No matter what inspired or motivated a good deed, it should still be appreciated and thought of as a good deed; people should always be given second chances. Sometimes peoples' motivations for doing charity are not so pure -- this should be kept in mind, I think, and we should make sure to teach up-and-coming people to do good for the right reasons, but we should not totally write off good deeds done to alleviate guilt or build up the reputation of the do-gooder. It still helped. 

Nobody automatically has an "obligation" to help others as soon as they're born, in my opinion. That has to come from within. Personally, I feel a driving impulse to do good, because I know it's the right thing to do and I feel like it's the least I could do, considering all the uncountable, immeasurable miracles and gifts people, the world, and life in general has given to me. And while I think that the world might be a lot happier, harmonious, and peaceful if everyone felt a strong inclination to do good, I also think that life is definitely what you make it and that a person's motivation to improve the Earth really must come from within. 

From a governmental point of view, every country that has the ability to lend a hand to other countries absolutely should. The whole "hey it's a whole other country let them figure it out for themselves" mindset flusters me; we're all on the same planet, aren't we? Are these other people so hard to relate to, so very different from us, just because they live on the other side of an artificial border? While whether or not people "should" is a personal decision, governments should, in my opinion. (It's just the right thing to do, and pragmatically, don't they want other countries to help them in their time of need?) Well, let me revise that. If the majority of people in a country want the government to help other countries, then they should. If not enough want that -- well, that's really depressing, but we have to stay diplomatic. 

I hope people aren't tired of helping others. I think a large part of the reason that people don't is because they 1) don't know about/understand problems 2) don't take the problems seriously or 3) don't know what they can do to help. I try to help as much as I can, though lately, sad to say, I haven't been involved in anything in particular, besides attending STATE (Students Taking Action for Tolerance and Equality) meetings (which meet 7 a.m. on Wednesday mornings in Ms. Boulay's Science classroom, ALL ARE WELCOME), buying fair-trade/organic stuff in general, stuff like that. A month or two ago, I was working with my totally rad cousin Rafe, who was working with a non-for-profit organization to provide Kenyan Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in refugee camps with food and water. (Rafe was actually in Kenya for a couple months [absurdly cool, I am so jealous], with a host family, working on that project.) The fundraiser was a pretty solid success, glad to say. I'd really like to do that kind of thing when I, too, am a college-educated 20-something with time to kill with social activism. Global activism is way up there on my mental list of possible careers. Also, I plan to never be rich when I grow up, if you know what I mean. (Go donating to charity. Woot woot!)

My favorite quotes are: "Be the change you wish to see in the world," as said by Mahatma Gandhi, and "You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now," from Wayne Dyer. As for the Gandhi quote, I agree with it, because the only way to peace is by being peaceful (Gandhi himself is an excellent example), the only way to improving the earth in general is by being a proactively charitable person. And I wholeheartedly believe in Dyer's quote: Lately I've been of the mind that, going along with my theory on reincarnation, our life/world/universe is Eden/Heaven/whatever you want to call it, that all of our problems are self-imposed (not necessarily self-self-imposed, but at least human race-imposed), and that life is really one big miracle that encompasses innumerable other miracles. This gets tricky in the case of a person who is unhappy and ill at ease because of things in their life they didn't cause, like a really bad domestic abuse situation or living in a really poor country or whatnot. Still, though, we always have opportunities to fix our lives and make ourselves happy, or others have opportunities to help us. 

There you have it. A blog that's only one day late. xD

Favorite Quote

"A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed."
- Henrik Ibsen


I think that this is a really cool quote. And even though it is only one short sentence, it is a very powerful quote with a deep meaning. To me this means that you can say all you want but it's never going to acomplish anything.

...to be continued

Peter Keller

"One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something..."
Henry David Thoreau, poet, writer, philosopher
This is a very important quote. It holds true to the whole world, and personally to me at this moment in time. I've been busy because I've tried to do too many things. In school and extracurricular activities have been giving me no time to just chill. But this quote tells me to just take things one step at a time, because I can't do everything at once. The same applies to everybody. No matter how much you want to help with something, for yourself or for others, you can't do too much at once, because nothing will get done, but you can do something for someone. Take it one step at a time, and you'll be fine. This quote is not only suggesting that you should take it easy, but that it is your right, duty, and privilege to do something for others. In order to expect help, you need to help others, and it sounds cliched, but that's really what makes the world go around. I can't think of more things to say, as I'm not in a philosophizing mood right now. But, yea. Rev. Peter Keller

To me some actions are simply unforgivable. There are some things in which can, and are forgiven over time, but then there are other unspeakable acts which never will be. I believe that innevitably you need to make peace with yourself. Once you find peace with yourself, I believe you can find peace with God. They say that God forgives, and I believe that he often times does. Some acts however, are unforgivable. Not matter how hard you try to rid yourself of these acts, you will still have the stains of guilt in the front of your mind each and every day of your life. Some spend their entires lives trying to make a mense, and if doing good works and deeds helps them to make this mense than they have really accomplished something. I believe that those who commit such attrocties need to confront the situation head on. If they do not it will swallow them whole. The skeletons of a broken past will always remain in your dark closet.

-KYLE G

A whole assortment of topics... OH FUN

Alright, seeing as how i just deleted what i just wrote... we are gunna start over again.


Well... about the united states helping out other countries... I am all for people helping other people. but i think there needs to be a line. what is saying that the United States is the world police? i mean yeah, it is good to help people and i think that everyone should help someone in the world. just not everyone. one person cannot help the entire world. but i think that we should all try to help someone.



a few quotes that effect my life:



"Everything will be okay in the end. If it is not okay, it is not the end." (QUOTED BY SARAH GOLDBERG WHO WOULD KILL ME IF I DIDN'T SAY SHE WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD ME... BUT IN ALL ACTUALITY IT IS AN ANONYMOUS QUOTE!!) I have found this quote so true in my life. and i think if you sit down and think about it, it is true in your life too. I do not think that anything in my life has not been "okay" in the end. It is just the point of waiting for "the end" you know? i think that a lot of people expect things to get better overnight, but a lot of times, things take a long time to get better. it is just actually being patient. If more people acually waited before jumping in with both feet, i think the world would be such a better place. At the time when something happens, i think that this world as a whole just think it is the end of the world, (granted, there are a few people in the world who learn to chill out, and i have a lot of respect for you people. because even though i know how much better it would be if i chilled out, it is still hard.)You have to realize that nothing stays bad forever. and i think that this quote really shows that. if you actually sit back and think about your past experiances in life, i would like you to comment me back. because i think you will realize that nothing stays bad for forever. please comment back, and take some time to think about what i have said to you. you may learn that, hey, maybe i was right. :]

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that we never feel the heat until we get burned. But we try so hard not to die. Sometimes we forget to appreciate life..." (APPRECIATION AND THE BOMB BY THE SPILL CANVAS) This is a song that i have learned very recently, (try... tuesday?) But it is so true. i mean honestly... I offer no explination of this quotation. I expect you to use your... oh what are they called... brains. (this is where 95% of you stop reading... lol) All i can say is that sometimes we are all so focused on what we can see, we forget about the blessings we cannot. Like love. or hope. or true happiness, which lies in the hearts of the ones who love you.

And, a final one...

This one i have remembered from like... february... i want to say? From that critical lense on "What A Wonderful Life" or something like that...

"Faith means believing when common sense tells you not to. Everyone can have faith when everything is fine, but real faith means believing rain or shine..." This one plays such a large part in my life. Because a lot of times, things come around that require you to believe against all odds. And true faith is when you believe reguardless of the situation you are in. no matter what everyone else says. no matter what everone else does. no matter if the odds are a million to one that whatever it is that you are believing in will not amount to what you expect it to. no matter if everything in the world is pulling you from the thing you are believing in. even if it means that you are holding on for dear life to thin air at times. and i believe in my heart that when you truly have faith, you become a much better person for it in the end. and by not giving up, you may just prove to someone that... i dont know... maybe you were... right. that against all odds you stood up and took the blows of everyone who didnt believe. maybe, you will find that it will all be worth it in the end. but you will never know, if you do not hold on... I guess it is Romeo and Juliet in a nutshell. But as i go through life, i see that Romeo and Juliet can be applied to... real life situations. (although, these real life situations do not end in a double suicide. and i hope that they never will.)

Well, i think that is enough. this does not say everything that i want it to, but then again, what ever does?

that little thing called forgiveness.

When people do bad things to one another, sometime it may be harder to really forgive. I mean yes if somebody stole your pencil and you got mad at them get over it. But if its like somebody lied to you and or backstabed you in some way, its hard to forget. I know some people said in there blogs to forgive and forget and that is totaly legit for certian situations, and for others its not. Personaly i give my trust out bery spearingly. When i do give it out i have full trust in a person amd really hope i can truely trust them.

now people like hitler and stallen can never be forgiven. there is no need to go in
to more detail because basically everybody knows what they have done. when you refer to somebody as hitler or stalin you know thats bad. its just a common fact of modern day that people have to deal with.


Trust is a hard thing to give out for some people. and for others its like saying the alphabet. And when they break that trust and do things that really hurt you its hard to forget. i mean yeah youll get over it and be happy again, but every time you try to go back to having what you had before with them, its hard to no listen to the voice that says remeber that thing they did a while ago. I try so hard to not let that affect me as a person and i know alot of people are the same way. its a hard thing to do and the fate of what is to happen next is in your hands.

My Favorite Quote

"Deciding whether or not to trust a person is like deciding whether or not to climb a tree. You may get a wonderful view from the highest branch, or you may get covered in sap; and for this reason, many people choose to stay indoors, where it is harder to get a splinter."
~Lemony Snicket


I think this quote is so cool. It makes light of a serious topic, becuase trusting someone can be a very hard decision. You have to know that you can leave your deepest secrets with someone, and they will be loyal to you. People are always so afraid of trusting people because they are afraid they will get hurt or betrayed ("...many people choose to stay indoors, where it is harder to get a splinter."). If someone is hurt from disloyalty they may learn to never trust people again, which leads to broken friendships. I'm no realtionship expert, but I've been in this situation before and it took me a while before I could start trusting people again.




The other side of this, is that you could find that the person you trust is a friend for life. That is one of the best feelings, when you know you have a true friend who will listen to you and stay by you (...You may get a wonderful view from the highest branch..." ). When you're younger, you tend to expect trust, but as you get older, you learn that loyalty is not a quality found in everyone. And that is why trusting someone can be an extrememly hard decision because you are taking a risk. You are sharing your secrets, your beliefs, your differences with someone. And you trust that they will take it seriously and take it to heart. Trust is a very personal topic, and I think this quote makes light of a situation that can go in many directions, good and bad.

Choice #2

I think people should help out each other no matter who they are or where they live. If there is something that you could do to make a difference than you could make it no matter how small or large your difference is. I think the USA is doing pretty good right now helping other counties out with their problems. There is room for improvement but the problem is that we are already millions of dollars in debt right now so it makes it harder to help others. I think that it would be a very good idea for the government to send over boxes of supplies to China and other countries but we can't really afford to right now so it is us to people like us to start a food drive or something for the people in China. If I had the power and the money I would defiantly donate or give the money to people who where in need. But unfortunately I don't so more than one person will need to donate and help. People must work as a team to get things done like this.

~Chelsea

I feel that everyone does something wrong at least once (mabey a couple times) in their life. When something wrong is done I believe that someone sould at least try to fix it. I don't think any one should be judged on something that happened a long time ago, IF they have changed. Also I feel that even though they are not judged by it, the action w/e it maybe should not just be fogotten by the person themselves.

I kinda feel that this is like a person who use to be an alcoholic...

Actions, consequences, world events and quotes. Ohboy. :]

Alrighty. Last year in advanced English with Mr. Herubin our class had many terrific discussions. We once talked about consequences of actions. We talked about a woman who, as a teenager with her friends, bombed a building and she was never caught. She then left town, changed her name and apperance. After many years she got married and then had children. She became a good person and put together fundraisers for different causes. She never told her family about the bombing when she was younger. Then one day, they found her and took her away. Her family found out about her past and it was total chaos. We were discussing whether she should still be punished for something she did when she was young before she became such a wonderful person. I honestly don't know the answer to that. Everyone needs to accept the consequences for their actions. But it seems a little too late. I'm not sure...it confuses me immensly.

I feel terrible that there are so many natural disasters occuring now! It's random. So many people are dying and it's horrible...the bell rang....

Wrong doings being offset by rights is a fine line to draw for me. I mean of coarse some wrong doings can be offset by rights as everyone makes mistakes. But no matter what good deeds hitler or Osama do i will always hate them. This is becuase nothing good can justify thoise incredible wrong doings. But a mistake car accedant when some is killed, the person must be forgived. Also as a freind you cannot hold grudges as they get you no where in life except for a stagnant state. Standing still in hatrid. Progress to me is in forgiveness and moving forward. Although i believe rights can offset wrongs, i believe some wrongs are just to great to forget.

Action, reaction, consequence, reparation

Can the good things a person does make up for the bad things? Well, that depends on what the bad things are. If one were to refer to Stalin, the good things he did (industrializing Russia, helping to defeat Hitler) do not make up for the millions and millions of people he killed during his regime, the ends just don't justify the means. However, hypothetically if someone had killed Stalin before he had killed all those people, I would say that killing one man is justified if it saves millions of people.



Now, about the natural disasters in China, Burma, and Myanmar, I think that the United States should be helping, and i think it is trying to, but i know that in Burma, the government is not allowing the united States' aid workers to distribute the supplies. It is good that we are not forcing them to allow us in their country, but it is obvious that their people need more aid, that their government cannot or will not distribute. So, obviously our country is in a difficult position of wanting to help but not being able to, if we were to force their government to allow us to help in aid distribution that would defeat the purpose, and if we deny them aid if they don't allow us in their country it would mainly harm the people that need the aid. It is difficult to know what to do at these times, if I were in power, I wouldn't know what to do, it's so frustrating that suffering people cannot recieve aid because of a paranoid government, they should at least let organizations like the red cross in. I suppose I would probably try to give as much aid as possible, in the the hope that people in need would benefit from it.

Making Up for Wrongdoings

This first question regarding making up for wrongdoings, I find, is an interesting one. I think that most Americans should say yes, one should be able to make up for wrongdoings. It is not because that is my belief, or because it is the right belief, or because it is the majority world belief. Rather, it is because this belief is the ABSOLUTE BASIS of Christianity. You are born a human sinner, and you try to make it up by doing the sacraments. Basically, if people don't believe this, their existence as Christians is pointless, because their fate is already set. Those that don't believe you can make up for wrongdoings are more along the lines of fatalists. Just some thoughts on making up for wrongdoings from the perspective of a Christian.

Personally, I think that one bad deed should not cross out a life of good deeds, nor should a life of bad deeds by waved away by one good deed. The best way I can say my beliefs, I think, is that everything should be taken at face value. For example, Arthur was a good king and did much for his people, and in that respect he is good, but he did try to drown children, in which case he is selfish. So he is a leader that is partly selfless and partly selfish. Both should be recognized, rather then them both simply nullifying the other. In another, better example, say you have a man who served his country as an activist for civil rights and did community service and then robbed a bank. He should not be excused from robbing the bank because of his past deeds, nor should his good deeds go unrecognized for his robbery. Rather, he should be jailed for a time for robbing a bank and praised and given awards for doing his community service for 30 years. Someone is not good or bad, which is why each action should be handled appropriately, rather than the total of all actions being composed into one blanketing description of "good" or "bad."

~Tyler

I don't like how people are always remembered for the things they did bad, especially when it was a really good person.

It is hard to explain how I feel on this subject, because I don't really know exactly how it should work. I think that people should focus on good quality's but i also understand when a person doesn't trust someone, or has suspicion about someone because of what they did. In other words if a person was a known child rapist, and was trying to turn his life around and do the right thing, but a parent wouldn't let there kids alone with them because there is that sense of "would he do it again." I am not saying that this is a bad person because of that. This person could really be on the right track, and is doing allot of good things, and that is what he/she should be remembered for, but there may be a sense of distrust from a parent because they are concerned about there kid.

Also there is also a matter of law, no matter how nice someone is and how much they may help people, to certain point the law must abide no matter what.

I think with natural disasters if everyone comes together, which we see a little bit of, they could all get the job done and help each other out.

whether or not you send people i guess that depends on the heart of the person, if someone feels led to go and help that is great, but if someone does not have that on there heart then that is there choice.

again with donations, what ever you feel you need to do, some people think they should do money drives and others don't, so it is all dependent on the person or group.

IF I had the power I would probably send some help just because that is the right thing to do, and if a doctor or aid volunteers i think that the government should allow them to go over and help, but no one should be forced.

Can You Make Up Bad With Good??????

If i had the power and mnoney to make a difference in a counrty less fortunate, i would help to a certain extent. I would help enough to get them back on thier feet. Once you start caring for them completely they get dependent on you. They need to be able to fend for themselves.

I think the United Nations should be stronger. I believe they should be the relief of the world. We need to come together as one world and help eachother out. They should be the ones countries can turn to. If all the countries of the world contribute to the UN it would be a powerful system.

good actions/bad actions

I think it depends on what kind of bad thing you did. If what you did isnt that big of a deal then maybe you could make up for it by doing good things. If someone was to do something life changing or dramatic I think it would be very hard to make up for it by doing good things. Also, I think it depends on if you did a bad deed to someONE because they may forgive you if you do good. If you were to make it up to someone than I think you could cross-out the bad. If you did something to change someones life or the lives around you, you cant do good deeds and expect for everything to be okay. In King Arthurs case I dont know if he could make up for the bad thing he did. However I think it would depend on the people that need to forgive him or to let him "cross-out the bad". Basically what I am saying is that it depends on a lot of things weather or not you can do good things to make up for the bad.

Fixing Wrong With Right

I think that any mistake can be cancelled out by good deeds. Even if you make one giant mistake, or if you make a bad choice, you can always fix it. All it takes is one good thing to change a persons life completely. In King Arthur, King Pellinore's family and the Orkney clan are in a feud, because they keep killing each other. But then one of the pellinore's decides not to kill an Orkney, so he fixed one of the mistakes that his family made. I think that one person can do something and cancel out someone else's mistake. I think that that is one of the best things a man can do for another man. To fix his mistake. It is in my opinion, fixing someone else's mistakes is the bravest things you can do.

Peace,
Christian

Can You Make Up Bad With Good??????

I think it depends. With some bad but horrible bad thats bad and you can not make up for that. If you have an accidental bad you can make it up with a bunch of good. But if you have a terrible bad like a Genocide you can never make that up everl. It is impossible unless somehow you kill milions of people then have millions of kids that replace the people you kill exlactly but that is pretty close to impossible if it isn't a 100% impossible. You can make up a accidental by doing a lot of stuff that benifits other people and you do not repeat the bad that you did. I think Arthur could of made it up because he didn't sink the ship it was a accident and he could of made that up and I think he did. But like a Genocide you can never make that up so the sooner you die the better.

A Quote of Love

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” - Dr.Seuss


It is hard to pick a favorite quote, but this is definatly on my top five. This quote just explains that feeling you get when you are in the beginning of a relationship. It sums up the butterflies, the constant smile, the day-dreaming about the other person (wondering, "Are they thinking about me too?"). I know I am only fifteen, but I don't think that there is an age requirement on love. I don't think that once you are considered an adult, then you can finally experience it. I think that there are different degrees of love. There is a "puppy-love", which is when people are young and careless, and totally happy to have met the other person. There is the love bond that marriage creates, but that is something I have not yet experienced. From what I've seen with my mom and dad, it seems to me, like despite everything that goes wrong, all the arguments over responsibilities of work, paying the bills, taking care of the kids, etc. you can get through it because you love that person, and you know they will be there for support.


So yes, there are different degrees of love in my opinion, and therefore I do believe I've been in love. I can realte to this quote, because there have been times when there is someone in my life that makes me so happy, I can't fall asleep. I'm thinking of him...his voice, his smile, the thing he last said to me, or whatever it may be...but for once it seems like the reality of our relationship is better than a dream, that may not be real. Knowing that the love I feel is real, and true, is the best feeling in the world.


Dr. Seuss is one of my idols, and this is an amazing quote by him. I know it doesn't have crazy words unknown to the English dictionary...but it speaks to my heart. <3

Living Forever?

Death is a scary thing. No one really wants to die, deep down (I hope not, anyway...). It terrifies the human mind to even think of someone we know being taken away from us. We even us phrases that don't make sense to cover up "she/he is dead". Example: "Timmy, Grandma passed away..."

Oh, right. My ranting about our bizarre death terms is not the assignment. Topic shift!

I think living forever would suck. No kidding. Who wants to live forever to see their best friends/family/loved ones grow old and rot away when you're still prancing around but not doing anything important with your life? Uh. No one. Put your little hands down.


I would choose to live in the moment. Not only do I want to be a writer, but I want to do something important and rememberable with my life.

Something great: something that will save someone's life. Not a big heroic OMGZ RESCUE FROM BURNING BUILDING kinda deal; but more of a small, simple... be there when no one else is kind of thing, except maybe on a larger scale.


A person who lived in the moment and did something that changed the world (or at least my world), is... well, actually, I don't know his name. As only a few of you may know, I got into a what-could-have-been serious car accident Thanksgiving night. My family and I (family being my dad driving, my grandma in the passenger seat, my brother back seat left, my mom back seat middle, I was in the back seat right) were on our way to see Lars and The Real Girl at the Spectrum (best place to see a movie ever). My dad started to go through a yellow light and then the car hit. I was listening to music and to this day, I can't listen to the song all the way through without wanting to cry and fall to my knees.


Anyway, the guy claimed he was going the speed limit, but if he was going the speed limit we wouldn't have crashed off of the road and into the transformer box. And I swear, I don't remember any outside noise. It's one of those things where it seemed like it was going in slow motion, but speeding past you at the same time.


It seemed like as soon as the car stopped, my mysterious life saver was right outside of the car, knocking on the window and calling if all of us were alright. We were... physically. The car that got wrecked in the accident had this "safety feature" of locking the doors once you get over fifteen miles an hour. So when MLS (Mystery life saver) tried to open the doors and he couldn't at first, we freaked out a bit until we realized "Oh. We should hit the unlock button".


He and his friends (who lived across the street), got us out of the car and told my brother not to get out of his side, because his side was ontop a hole of livewires (!!!). MLS and his friends got us across the street because everyone was scared to death that the car and transformer box would explode. Some cops that got there before everyone else even put caution tape around the corner just to ensure everyone's safety and keep everyone on the other side of the street.


But, that did not stop MLS. He went across the street in his vibrant orange turtleneck, snuck under the tape and searched through our car for my grandma's glasses and cellphones and such. He brought whatever he could find back to us and after that, he wished us well.


My brother said he saw him hanging out until the ambulance took us to the hospital. We figured he lived across the street and was watching the game when he heard the crash.


I thank him for my life, even if what happed didn't seem so significant to anyone else. But if you were in that car... God.


I was talking to my friend Christine about him at school the day we got back. I talked to her about the crash the night it happened... when we got home. She smiled at me and said "He's your angel, Sarah."


I still believe that to this day and thank him for living in the moment and doing something to change someone's life in a big way.


I hope he finds those words from me to him somewhere... Thank you.