A Thought About Society

You know what I find interesting?
What I find interesting is how society has built up walls and built up safety measures that separate us from one another. Even though, we are in the exact same space!
We’re trying so hard to be one group, to be a unit but while doing so, society denies the fact that we all are, in essence, unique and different.

Why? Why does it want to do this? I can’t seem to understand it, because even those that seem to fit into the conventions and ‘rules’ of that society don’t… If you look deep enough you’ll find that person is not ‘perfect’ enough to fit into that society. That there is something that if it were out in the open and free, other members would cast that person aside and exclude them.

Is it for this reason, have filters on our images all the time, to hide our truths? To hide our beauty and uniqueness to fit in?

I believe, in order for us all to truly stand together we need to accept each other’s differences. And not just the obvious differences, in ALL differences. To truly stand together our idea of society needs to change. Many people’s idea of society now causes separation and segregation.

If we break away from the society we are trying so hard to fit in to we would all have automatically achieved a new level of awareness and togetherness. Being in this state forces a person to see and accept another’s differences.

However, having said this how can we accept difference in others if we can’t in ourselves?

How can we all accept each other in a new concept society when we live in one that currently excludes so many others?

 

Culture

Wow, I haven’t written in such a long time but now, here I am and there is one thing that I am quite inspired about today. And that is culture.

Culture is quite an amazing thing. It’s complex, unifying, excluding as well as many other things. Today I asked myself “What is my culture?”. I have asked this question many times before but today I have actually gone into a lot of detail about it. Maybe it’s because I’ve been trying hard to find out who I am at the moment.

I think that it’s important to know where you originated to know who you are. I also think it’s just as important as knowing that who you are is who you want to be and that your roots do not determine everything about you.

My process started out when I asked a fellow student what she was eating. When she answered (she is Greek by the way) she told me that it is a dish that she has for those that have passed on. I have always been fascinated by her culture and her cultural practises and today this just opened up a world of doors for me.

I started wondering who I am and where my family came from. My father’s side, I have no clue as he was adopted. My mother does not know her side either. So here I am as a white english South African who wonders about her roots.

I brought this conversation up with my friends and together we realised that there aren’t many South African english cultural practises. It is a culture but, to me, it feels like a culture that mixes South African culture as well as Western culture. Now I find a lot of potential in that as a culture because I feel it can unite everyone in South Africa under one roof. It is a culture that pretty much all South African fit under. Everything classified as a part of english South African culture falls under another South African culture whether it be Afrikaans, Zulu or Xhosa culture.

I have a belief that one day in the far, far future that there will not be different cultures. That there will only be one culture that everyone is a part of. I do not believe it will be a culture that we have today, it may be combinations of cultures with a vast array of cultural practises. And just like it is today, people will practise while some people will not. It will be a choice people make and decide to be a part of. The South African english culture is currently still being built and created. I say this because this is what I wish to do.

I wish to find my culture, the culture that is true to my ancestry’s blood. Once I know that, I wish to learn as much as I can about that culture. With that knowledge in mind I will mix it in with who I am as a white english South African. And that will be my culture. I’m sure many people who feel this way in their own cultures have done so and may do so. This is how I see culture becoming. Changing to define who they are instead of culture only defining them.

I would love to hear whatever comments anybody may have, even if its an argument against what I have said. I want to have a conversation with you about it and broaden my own knowledge. Ask, write, leave a comment, argue, do anything as long as you reply.

Organisational Systems

So as I sit and think about what it is that I am going to write. I remember the million other things I am supposed to be doing as a very busy university student. Yet my level of procrastination is too high to drive me not to write out something on this WordPress blog.  So in an attempt to make myself feel better I am writing about the importance of having a system.

I wouldn’t say that I’m an unorganised person, I’d rather call myself a ‘deal-with-it-when-I-get-there’ kind of person. Now this has it’s benefits as much as it has it disadvantages. Being in university, it really helps having a system and goals set. I never realised how much it would actually help one get through the chaos mess created by assignments and stress.

So now, as you can imagine I am struggling when it comes to creating a system for myself. I don’t even know where to start and what I prefer to do when it comes to these systems. I really should have paid attention when they explain organisation and helpful systems in school. I may have been one step ahead today, oh well what ya gonna do?

All I can do now is try to come up with some system for myself. I have started writing down everything that needs to be done in an order of priority and so far it seems to be helping.  What I need to do now as well is to write down some fixed goals. I have goals but they aren’t fixed. They float around and it is easy to confuse them amongst the other thoughts in your mind.

So I guess job one to do after posting this is:

To write some goals…. after getting all the other important jobs done first… 😛

New Starts

So our exam went better than I expected and I am glad that it is over. My holiday was fantastically long, it gave me a nice break where I was able to wrap my head around the idea of more group work in the future. Now I am in my second semester of varsity in the second week and we have already been split into groups again.

I am slightly more comfortable than before though. I feel prepared, like I know what to expect and I feel like I have more control. I have a lot of hope for our project this semester which is to create a play out of a short story and then to perform the play. There are four people in my group, including myself. The difference this semester is that people have realised that varsity is a little more difficult than they thought and that it requires a lot more effort than before. So this semester I am looking at it in hope and enthusiasm.

I hope everyone has been well!

Group Work

We have all had to work in groups. Some of us love it and some of us hate it.

Right now I am finding absolutely nothing worse in university than group work! I thought group work would be better than high school group work. I thought that because I was with like-minded people who wanted to study what they were studying that group work would have been the best thing to be a part of. I really did. Boy, was I wrong!

I have just completed one group project and that had its ups and downs but… just… wow. It was hard. The people were good though, they were understanding and we didn’t dwell too much on something for too long. Once we performed our piece, everything fell into place. The hard work, frustration and annoyance paid off. The piece, I felt, was great.

I’m in another group now and I thought the piece before was hard. Let me just tell you, this one is the epitome of terrible. And there are only four girls in the group!! Including me!! I thought girls would have more control, more power and strength to actually compose a great piece but wooow! I was so wrong! I have nagged and nagged and tried to get things done, the problem now is that I look like that one bitch who is trying to control everything. Lets just get one thing clear, I’m no control freak. For a month before this upcoming exam I nagged these girls to get together and practise something. In the beginning I was relaxed, I asked a couple of times to rehearse and just before the planned practise someone would cancel for the day. This happened almost every time and two weeks ago my group and I had to perform a final piece to our class just for criticism from our lecturers.

The different groups went up and I sunk deeper and deeper into my rabbit hole of embarrassment. All the group’s pieces looked like they had been rehearsing for weeks. Their pieces were great. Some lacked commitment and energy but they had substantial pieces that you could see actually had been worked on. By the time our group was called on stage I was ready to evaporate into thin air.

With absolutely no rehearsals behind us, one person absent because she was ‘sick’, me having to act the absent person’s lines as well as my own and one person only reading her lines, we went up on stage. I expected a disaster. We introduced ourselves and performed our piece which was basically just the lines. We looked dead but we got through it. I was surprised we did.

The teachers criticised all the groups work. You could see they tried to give us some good feedback but I couldn’t blame them when all they could come up with was that they were glad we still managed to do the piece with someone being absent. The criticism on the other hand was a page full of notes. I wrote it all down. I put it on our group chat hoping that the people in the group would look at that and have a heartfelt moment and realise that they need to start committing. Sadly, I expected too much.

Now I sit writing this post at 10 o’ clock when rehearsal was supposed to start at 9:30. Our group organised to meet today on Sunday. We agreed on it, as we have many times before. buuuuuut someone has an ear infection today and another person can only get here at 12. It takes me an hour to get to school, if I am lucky, and I got here at 7 a.m because that was the time my transport had to get to where he needed to be, only to learn that rehearsal will start at 12, if even.

Think it’s going to happen? I’m sure you can understand my frustration and if you have some advice on how to cope with it plleeeaasee feel free to comment.

Oh, I forgot to mention an important detail. Our exam piece is due this Thursday, in two days from now.

The ‘Imperfections’

People live their lives trying so hard to be perfect… regardless of what people tell them they still try to just be… perfect. But what is it to be perfect? Everyone can have their own view on what they think it is to be perfect and here is mine.

I believe one has reached perfect when they have understood and come to terms with their ‘imperfections’, especially the ones that they cannot change, also being able to decide, on their own terms, if the ‘imperfetions’ they can change is worth changing, if they want to. When one is able to accept themselves for who they are and not care what people, the internet and other social media say about them and their ‘imperfections’ then the person has reached a peaceful perfect, they will be able to grow and be who they are and live their lives exactly how they want it to be lived.

Before I have written the word, imperfections, in quotation marks and I have done so because I would like to ellaborate what I feel about that word… I used that word because that is what the world calls what a trait that is not perfect, but again I will ask what is perfect? I have given my opinion but that varies for everyone in the world. I find that ‘imperfections’ in people and everything in life is what makes us and it so beautiful! What does a perfect sky look like? That is also an opinion that varies but lets say, clear blue, as an example. That would make the clouds and the variety of colours from morning till night the sky’s ‘imperfections’ ….. But notice that many people adore and admire the many different ‘imperfections’ the sky has so why can’t we all embrace our ‘imperfections’ or for a better phrase our ‘clouds and colours’.

Our clouds and colours are what make us who we are. It is what people love in us and granted not everyone will love them but who cares? They don’t have to love your clouds and colours, only you do in order to make yourself a beautiful and perfect sky. This photo was taken around the same time everyday at sunset of the sky for about 100 days and I hope it emphasises my message.

The Rainbow and Stars

Ah, the future can be daunting, but as much as it can be daunting it can be exceptionally exciting.

When you think about all the negative things that have happened or may be happening it is very very easy to block out all the good and I’m not going to tell you not to think about the negative things, I’m going to tell you to remember that all strong characters have scars from their past, wounds transitioning into scars and swords poised to strike and create more wounds.

I found this on the internet and I feel it is appropriate for anyone going through something hard.

Even for those that don’t want to look for the stars or rainbows, at least know and remember that they are there and if you look and can’t find them, don’t give up, look harder because sometimes we hide them from ourselves, to test ourselves, keep us strong and help make the next blow easier.

The thing about life is that it is always changing and nothing will stay the same forever. Hold onto the hope that things will get better and you will notice that it will change quicker. Take any good moment in your life and blow it up in your mind, celebrate it and love it. More of that will come. There is as much good in the world as there is bad, even if it may not seem that way.

Try not let the rain and darkness keep you from seeing the rainbow and stars. Allow the rain and darkness to push you further, allow it to give you more experience to allow yourself to grow.

Take the hardships and a deep breath and try remember that things will balance out. It can also be seen as ‘The Circle of Life.’

Coming to you from a caring friend who hopes for you even if you yourself have lost hope!

Differences

You know if there were something I could change about humanity, it would be the sorting of people into groups that I would abolish… Not just as in races but with everything we classify people into. For example the logical and creative people, selfish and selfless people, upper class and lower class, fat and skinny etc…

Why do we need these different levels of people? It only creates space for a lot of discrimination and prejudice. For me, I believe we all fit into every kind of class there is… I don’t believe there are any selfless people out there. I believe we all have every known trait within us… and the thing that makes everyone individual is how high they tune each trait. also it all depends on ones perception. To me I could be of a normal weight, to my family I could be seen as overweight and to friends I could be seen as skinny… People judge each other by what they see, not knowing the full story…

The other day I was at a friend’s afternoon braai and as we left the braai each person was allowed to take a bar of chocolate that sat in a big basket by the door. No one sat and made sure that every person took one each, there were no rules made either because there were more than enough to go around. So I take two as I leave. I notice someone look at me frowning as if in disgust and I realise they think I am being greedy person, taking two for myself, when in actual fact I was taking the second one for a beggar that I knew sat on a road that was on my way home.

Now for that person at the braai I am known as a greedy pig but for the beggar on the side of the road, I am considered giving. Which am I? … Do I have to be one or the other? Can’t we all just be different without any classifications? We’d probably also have less wars if this were so…

You know, why do a lot of South Africans hate Americans when they have never even met one? I find this fascinating… When some South Africans have people complaining about certain American programmes and then they judge the whole American population for being the same when in truth half the American population hate the same programme, they just don’t know it.

There is so much more I would like to say about this topic but I’m hoping you catch my point. please leave your comments. I’d love to hear your point of view as well.

Peace out equals.

Change

Hi all!

So today has been quite a big day for me! I received my matric results and have been accepted into a university!

I think the best part of that is knowing that the course I will be studying is one that I want to be studying… I no longer am forced to learn the subjects that bore me. I am doing what I want to and what inspires me. Dramatic Arts… a subject that drives me and that I have a passion for.

And for me I find that if one isn’t doing what they want to in life, or if they are not happy, then they cannot allow themselves to grow as a person, spiritually and emotionally. Sure no one will always be happy forever but that is the indication that one needs to change or redirect their thoughts and then life can and will continue in a better way, even if it doesn’t seem like it…

Many people are afraid of change, I try to embrace change, sure it can be daunting and confusing and scary but if we look at the situation in time we can still mould an inevitable change to work in our favour… We need not be afraid of change as much as we are afraid of it… Knowledge is power, if you know how to change the change, you can control the change.

I say this because i realised that things can go bad and things can bring us down, but if we allow it too then it dictates our lives… it’s time for us to take it back and I wish to point out that we control our own lives.

Lets live it and enjoy it!

Give views and opinions! ;P

A Random Piece

For days I have wondered what to write about and post and every post I have written I have discarded… Today I am just going to write.

I’ll start by giving a belated ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ and early ‘HAPPY NEW YEARS!!’

Even for those that do not celebrate christmas, I hope you had a wonderful day and I hope that everyone will have an amazing new years day.

After returning from a holiday with a whole group of my friends I am more than grateful to be home and have learnt a couple valuable lessons… Going on holiday with friends is not as cracked up as some people- or your mind- make it out to be…

The day after the return I have an accident… BAM! Just like that. It happened so fast I didn’t even feel the pain of hitting my head against the windscreen or even much pain after that. Haha. I am one of the lucky ones and am grateful… Let me just add and I’m sorry if any of you develop any fears after this but the drip that the paramedics put in my arm was more painful than the accident… -_- …It doesn’t make sense to me either…

Then came the time to put up the christmas tree and nothing made me happier than seeing the smile on my love’s face as he helped me decorate the tree. Even though his OCD tendencies made him rearrange my decorations I was thrilled to at least be a part of his christmas. A moment like that is something that will be cherished forever.

Now christmas is over and the New Years resolutions are to be written… Just remember the difference between a resolution and a goal. I was reminded yesterday of the difference and here a quick site that will help you if you don’t remember or don’t know the difference…

http://www.weightymatter.ca/2012/01/crucial-difference-between-goal-and.html

write down those resolutions and get someone to help you to stick with them and if you don’t know what resolutions to make, just write New Year goals for the year. When the year has ended read those resolutions or goals and mark off which ones you achieved. You may be quite surprised.

Anyway, I hope the best for everyone with their goals and resolutions and if you have none just have a fantastic year!

Enjoy it, live it, love it!!