Having a Twin

                How does it feel like to have a twin? I’ve been ask that question countless time. There is not a day where a meet person does not ask me this question. I don’t know why people always end up asking me this but I always give each person the same answer, it’s great having a twin and she’s my other half. I could never see myself being without my sister. Whenever I think about my future, she is always there with me. It’s true when they say twins feel the same things and sometimes think the same things. Most of the time my sister and I finish each other sentences and answer someone’s question at the same time. I can truly say that we might be two different people but in some form, we complete each other.

                Besides being my twin sister, she’s my best friend. No one knows me better than my sister does. There is nothing she doesn’t know about me and I keep no secrets from her. I trust her with all my heart and she helps me be a better person. Therefore, this is why every time someone asks me how does it feel to be a twin, I tell them that there is nothing better in the world than to have someone who is your other half.

"If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't,you're right." -M.K. Ash

Don’t ever doubt yourself because you can do anything when you set your mind to it. If you believe in yourself and believe you can accomplish anything then the sky is the limit. Thinking you can’t do something, sets you in the wrong direction. Having positive thoughts and thinking you can, sets you in the right direction. Sometimes all it takes is having a positive attitude to get something done. Nothing in this world is impossible.

There is nothing greater in the world then proving people wrong when they believe you cannot do something. I believe that with the right attitude and support we can do anything we put our minds to. Our self-confidences is vital for accomplishing our dreams and goals. Once you believe in yourself there nothing or anyone that can stop you.

Baby Girl Left in Car by Father

The last few days the news has been reporting about an incident were a father left his baby girl of six months in the back seat of his car for more than nine hours. Sadly to say but the baby passed away. The father before going to work left his older son at school and then forgot his baby girl in the car. When I heard about this, I could not believe what I was hearing. How can someone forget about his or her own child? There is no justification for what happened. The father had the responsible to ensure his daughter safe. Yes, it was an accident but it was negligence on his part. I hope that this never happens to any parent. You always have to be aware of your surroundings. Forgetting is not an excuse when it comes to your children. When you have children, nothing is more important than they are and they took priority over everything else including work.  

"Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect." -Margaret Mitchell

 I strongly agree with this statement. You have to work for what you want. No one is going to give you anything on a silver platter.  Life is not that easy that we wish for something and we are going to have it. If you really want something than you have to work hard and  go out and find it. A lot of people have the misconception that life is suppose to give you all that you want. Just because you think something should be doesn’t make it so. It is unrealistic if you believe that life is obligated to give you what you expect. Life is unpredictable.

I believe sometimes we have to be prepare for the worst so when it does present itself we are not disappointed. People think that if someone has something you want than you want it as well. We all know that life doesn’t work like that. Sometimes you have to work twice as hard to get the same thing.

Nothing is written in stone. We make our own destiny. Life doesn’t owe else anything.

I've Learned by Omer B. Washington

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved.
The rest is up to them.
I’ve learned that no matter how much I care,
some people just don’t care back.
I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust
and only seconds to destroy it.
I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life
but who you have in your life that counts.
I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you’d better know something.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself
to the best others can do,
but to the best you can do.
I’ve learned that it’s not what happens to people,
It’s what they do about it.
I’ve learned that no matter how thin you slide it,
there are always two sides.
I’ve learned that you should always have loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you’ll see them.
I’ve learned that you can keep going
long after you think you can’t.
I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done
When it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly,
but just don’t know how to show it.
I’ve learned that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I’ve learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to
doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
I’ve learned that no matter how good a friend is,
they’re going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I’ve learned that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken,
the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I’ve learned that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.
And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.
I’ve learned that sometimes you have to put the individual
ahead of their actions.
I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I’ve learned that no matter the consequences,
those who are honest with themselves go farther in life.
I’ve learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don’t even know you.
I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.
I’ve learned that writing,
as well as talking,
can ease emotional pains.
I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life
are taken from you too soon.
I’ve learned that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice
and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.
I’ve learned to love
and be loved.
I’ve learned…
(http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1VJaud/thislifeilead.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/ive-learned-by-omer-b-washington/)

Life is full of lessons and we will experience them in many form. No doubt, we will make mistakes throughout our life, yet that is what life is all about. Life goes on and we must learn to pick ourselves up and start again. Each day that passes we learn a new lesson that either blossomed from a mistake or accomplishment. These valuable lessons will shape who we will become and how we view the world and others.

                Life is complicated, no will argue that. If life were easy, it would have no meaning. Our purpose would just be to exist and nothing else. Life is made-up of our struggles, obstacles, accomplishments and everything in between. Learning from all this and what we do with this knowledge is what gives meaning to our life.

Time Management

Last Thursday in IDH class, we learn about time management and how we can developed skills to help us be better students. As we were going through different points and what you shouldn’t or should do, I realize that I’m horrible at managing my time. I leave all my assignments for the last minute, thus always in a hurry and going to sleep at two or three in the morning. My style of learning and study may not be the best but it has got me this far. It may cause me stress and always being under pressure but I don’t know any other way to accomplish what I have to do each day.  I know at some point during my time in The Honors College I will have to change some of my methods to relieve stress and be able to balance my personal time and schoolwork. It may not happen right now or next semester but I will try to make changes a step at a time to improve myself.  

Samuel

"Samuel" a short story by Grace Paley narrates a story of a boy who dies because of the actions of a person. The story starts by telling us there are four boys on a train who are fooling around on a platform. People are watching them but no one does anything to stop them until one lady does but the boys laugh at her. Then, one of the men pulls the emergency cord, which causes one of the boys, Samuel, to fall to his death. Finally, it ends with the reader being told that there will never be a boy like Samuel.

The story has a twist to it because the man may have walked “citizenly” to pull the emergency cord to stop the boys from getting hurt instead he ended up killing someone. If one of the people in the train would have said something, the accident may have not happened.  If you continue reading we are inform that the trainmen knows about this kind of death and knows “how to take the body from the wheels and brakes.” Paley in the end doesn’t write this story to teach us a lesson but it’s her personal response to the death of a boy.

Middle Class

                Reported by The New York Times, a new study done by Brookings Institution estimates that two of three Americans reach middle class by middle age. The study is broken down by stages in the person’s life for example, adolescence and so on. Many things are taken into account like GPA, when graduated from high school, no criminal convictions, early pregnancies, family wealth, race and gender. If born in a poor family you have a 40% chance of reaching middle class, while born in a wealthy family you have 70% chance.

                In this case, I think education is the most important factor here. In this country, a degree is very important for your future and the income you wish to make. There are too many people out there that let opportunities pass them by, there may be few but we have to work with what we have, and don’t take advantage of them. The middle class is very important to the structure of this country and we have to keep it stable and growing. It may be hard to achieve the middle class status but we have no choice because we all want a secure and good life. We all want to have a steady job, food on our plates and a roof over our heads.

Go Out and Vote

Last Thursday, I had the chance to meet George P. Bush at a presentation in Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus. It may have been about getting students to vote but there were points when it sounded like a political campaign for the Republican party. Besides that, I thought he had a good point about having more people vote for this presidential election. I agree that we have to vote and make our voices heard. Voters from the ages 18-29 have decrease enormously. Some may not like either of the presidential nominees or agree with them but that does not mean that not voting is the right thing to do. There will be points in our lives that we will have to make hard decisions that we may not like but we have to make them. Voting is a right that we all have as a U.S. citizen and we should make it count.

Obese by 2030

A new study released by The Trust for America’s Health reports that by 2030 more than half of Americans could be obese. If this does occur then we are in big trouble! This would result in millions of new cases of illness that can cost the U.S. billions of dollars. If this is what our future may be like then we need to start improving our lifestyle now. Our generation has to set an example to our future generations, so it must all starts with us. In addition, children now need to start eating healthy and becoming more active. Find time in your day to exercise, even if you have only 10 minutes to spare. Obesity is one of the greatest obstacles the country is facing today. We cannot let this continue.

Trying New Things

“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time, to figure out whether you like it or not.”

-Virgil Garnett Thomson

 

This is such a great way to view life and a strategy to follow when trying out new things. Sometimes when people are faced with new things, they don’t know what to do. Either they let opportunity/experiences pass them by or they gave up half way. There are times when we think we won’t like something, but if you would give it a chance we would be surprise that we may like it. Life is about trying new things and discovering what we like.

Teachers on Strike

In Chicago, teachers are on strike because of contract issues. This is just one of the many protests the U.S. has seen due to conditions of classroom and teacher’s wages. There has not been any improvement in my opinion, classrooms are still crowded, teachers are still being laid-off, wages are low and there isn’t enough funding. Don’t get me started with the kind of foods students are provided with for breakfast and lunch. People want kids to eat healthier, than they should start by changing the type of food being given to students. Moreover, there is so much money being spend unwisely and government officials rising their own wages , that of course there hasn’t been any improvement. This is another issue we have to continuing to demand changes. What is more important than a child education?
 

9/11

Tuesday was the 11^th year anniversary of September 11 and it seems just yesterday the country was under attack. Eleven years later and the memories are still fresh in our mind. I believe we will never truly forget that day especially those who that lived through it. We still watch the videos or look at the pictures of that day and feel that tighten in our hearts. Before that day, we thought nobody could hurt us; we live in America so we were safe. We found out the hard way that we were wrong and we needed to do more to protect ourselves. 9/11 is our reminder that there are people out there who want to hurt us no matter the cost, even if it means the death of thousands of innocent lives. To those who perished that day, you will never be forgotten and may you rest in peace.
 

Anti-American Protests

Anti-American protests continue to spread around the Middle East, all because of a film made by an ignorant man who had nothing better to do than to create a fourteen minutes video making fun of the prophet, Muhammad. Why is it that we always resort to violence? Why can’t we protest without hurting others? Just because of someone ignorance and stupidity, we all have to pay the price? Throughout time, all religions have been insulted and attacked but that does not mean we can use this to justify any form of violence. If we choose violence as our way to voice our displeasure, than we are as bad as the people who attacked and insulted us in the first place. If you believe in your faith, than the insults should have no power. Nothing is more important now than having tolerance. The innocent should not pay for the crime of the guilty.

"We are locked in history and they were not."- Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog beautifully narrates “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” in which he summarizes in one sentence the differences between our ancestors and us. It is simply that we are trapped in history, we will never know these humans or fully know the meaning of their artwork. These paintings are our ancestors creating art and expressing themselves. Now, here we are thousands years later in this cave looking at their paintings. We can ask how they lived, how they survived, what they practice or even what they believed in but in reality, we will never completely know. In essences, we can agree when Herzog points out that, “We are locked in history and they were not.”We will always have questions about our past but we may never know the answers and as we learned more of our history and make discovers we are presented with more questions than answers.
 

DREAM Act

I think everyone should have the opportunity to receive an education including illegal immigrants, which is why I support the DREAM Act. Most of the illegal immigrants are in the U.S because of economic and political reasons. They want to have a better life, a place where they can express their feeling without being persecuted and have rights. Having a better life includes children getting an education. Education is a very powerful and helps shape your life, which is why people have to continue to voice their approval of the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act helps millions of kids not be deported and be able to stay in the U.S. if they receive a degree in a certain time. I hope if Obama wins the election, he continues to support the DREAM Act because this generation will be the leaders in the future.
 

The Big Change

My second week of college just finish and I am still adjusting to the change from high school to college. When people told me that college life would be different from my high school days they were not kidding. It is a huge adjustment, from only dedicating half a hour studying for a test to now having to study for more like two or three hours. In addition, I cannot leave my homework anymore for the last minute. I have to do things ahead of time because if I do not then I won’t have time for myself. In college, you are treated as an adult so things will not be handed over to you as they were in high school. I think the main adjustment I have to make is dividing my time wisely. If you don’t have any time management then you better start trying to fix that because you will find yourself swamp with things to do and no time to do them.  I see college as a new start and a new life. You can start over, begin to develop yourself and start to plan what you want to do with your future. So far I have liked my experience in college and I have no complains, yet.
 

Less Talk. More Jobs

Unemployment is at its highest now and we still have not seen any sign of it decreasing. More and more people everyday are losing their job.  People are out there looking for work but most cannot find any.  In this day in time and with the economy this bad, no one can afford to be without a job. Most people are living paycheck by paycheck and if they are laid-off, they may not have a roof over their heads or food on their table. We need jobs. Our main concern should be to lower the unemployment rate and create more jobs. If things continue like this then the working class will disappear. Without the working class, the country’s economy will not survive. Where are all the jobs these politicians are telling us about that will be created each year?
 

The Presidental Election

Today is the last day of the Democratic National Convention and in just two months we will be voting for the next president. The day gets closer and closer and I don't know who will win, Obama or Romney but what I do know is that we need change and we need it now. We need actions and improvement not words and unfulfilled promises. Each nominee has his own propositions on how to improve the issues affecting the American people like health care, immigration, the country’s debt, jobs among others but the main issue at hand is if their propose solutions will indeed improve anything. I believe the biggest concern we should have is what will happen after the elections? Will there be any change? Will things improve? Those are questions we should be wondering about. Nothing is set in stone.
 

La Maison en Petits Cubes

Sometimes the simplest and unexpected things can trigger our memories and make us think about our life. The perfect example is a short animated film called La Maison en Petits Cubes. No more than twelve minutes long and we get to experience a man’s past unfolded before our eyes without a single word. We see how memories can not only bring us happiness but also sorrow. Work of art like this can show us how life can go by so quickly and that our past can define our present and future.  The film shows us how he is feeling now that he is alone, which is the sad part because we come to realize that all he wants is to be with his family once again.