Open Your Eyes and Welcome The Differences.

I believe in acceptance, taking risks and opening up to differences.

Matt Hardings’ essay, “Connecting to a Global Tribe”, is very self-explanatory. When Matt says, “My brain was designed to inhabit a fairly small social network of maybe a few dozen other primates”, I find that true for everybody. We all know people in our own communities, ‘tribes’ as Matt calls them, as the people we have grown up to know. We know a small group of people and for most people, they only know that small group. Matt Harding traveled all over the world to see all different communities of people and thus broadened his community of people. Traveling all over the world to see different sites, hear different sounds and meeting new people. By seeing and experiencing new things, anyones’ view of the world and of people can become broader and I think that Matt Harding has put the proof to the theory with his amazing video.

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Wishes, Hopes, Dreams and Inspiration are found with everyone. All people, no matter what nationality, belief system or life style, have them. Most people look the other way though. People of the modern world look more on people who are beautiful, handsome, famous and/or rich. In fact, we have looked onto things like that so much, that the true talent is hidden. Susan Boyle is a 47 year old woman living in the UK. She isn’t beautiful, she isn’t rich and to some people she is just plain old ordinary.

When she first stepped out onto the stage on the show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, you could tell that everybody who looked at her had great doubt that she was going to get anywhere. By there facial expressions and remarks, anybody could tell that the audience didn’t like her. To everybody’s surprise though, she belted it out and wowed everyone. She put real means to the term ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ It all depends on your point of view. Susan was judged by her appearance and clothing. Susan Boyle had a dream to be like the singer who inspired her to start singing, Elaine Paige. She held onto her dream of becoming a singer since she was 12 years old and had a strong enough hope to be a professional.

The same treatment was given to Paul Potts a few years earlier. He wasn’t handsome or muscular but there was talent. He had a dream of becoming a professional Opera singer but when he made it known on the stage of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ he too was ridiculed. When he sang, though, his talent blasted. It was a true surprise to every one. Paul knew that he was born to do Opera and held fast to that dream until he was able to show it. Like in the Langston Hughes poem, it says ‘Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.’ What if Paul let go of his dream and just remained doing his job? There would be no excitement as there was being able to show he had talent to the world.

Millions of people want to see people like Susan Boyle and Paul Potts for two reasons, they either hear it from there friends that these people are really good and/or they want to see proof of this kind of talent coming from this ‘type’ of person. A first impression of either of them and you may think they have no talents and are weird for trying something they “obviously” can’t do. People all over have become so attached to the ‘first sight= impression’ method that we turn down people we think lowly of when they are truly wonderful people to be around. I do believe that you can find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

I chose the picture shown above because, to me, it represents opinion based on our 'eye' view and how we look at things. Artwork by: Teesha Moore

I chose the image of a key because it represents the lost key mentioned in passage four.
The key is a close friendship and the closer you get to the key, the more treasure you will find.
Photo found at: spasmicallyperfect.wordpress.com

I am an Eagle
Soaring over the land of the free,
My home of the brave.
After a long departure
Anxious to land and see my family

I am a needle and thread.
I help mend people when they are torn
though, I break, too

I am a paintbrush.
I paint words that are an art.
Fantasy and Reality
My creations are unique

I am a treasure chest
Full of secrets
The key lies tucked away
Whilst the treasure lies
waiting to be discovered.

I am a little child,
on the inside.
A young adult on the outside.
Stuck between two worlds altogether
as they slowly merge.

Fox

The Bitter in the Sweet

Disappointment flowed through Magpie as she rode on Dog's back. Though she had become Dog's blind eye and Dog had become her burnt wing, Magpie found it wasn't enough for her. After the accident of the burning of her wing, Magpie felt she was useless but Dog helped her realize she wasn't and helped her try to feel like she could fly. All Dog ever did for Magpie was for the bond that they had shared and as they united, Magpie felt more and more like her old self, until Fox made his arrival. The thing about Fox, that I have figured out, is that he doesn't take heed to anyone but who he wants to strike at. He leads Magpie to her arrogance by tempting her with his speed and her lust to fly once again and after proving his ability of momentum was superior to Dog's. Magpie threw her dislike for Fox away and willingly strode down the path of temptation.

If one looks at the bond between Fox and Magpie, they would know that she was throwing herself straight into the hungry mouth of danger but because of her yearning for flight, Magpie didn't care. The temptation was too great and the result seemed too promising yet after her adventure on the back of Fox a feeling of remorse, grasped her in it's claws and consumed her.

What Do Words Have To Say?

Imagination

The Power beyond worlds

“A book should be an ice-axe that breaks the frozen sea within us.” -Franz Kafka

This quote is a metaphor which states the bond between books and imagination. “Ice-axe”, The “ice” part makes suggests that what ever is used to break it has to be very sturdy because if you think about it, ice can become really thick and durable, adding that to “axe” makes me think of really strong, powerful weapons. Therefore, creating an impression that we are trapped within our minds, waiting for a creative idea to happen upon us, being the tool to set ourselves free to roam the never ending league of thoughts and beliefs. “Frozen seas within us” is an example, "Frozen" is paralyzing, to be unable to think about or know anything other than what you've been told.

"Frozen" conceals secrets, traps by freezing over and enclosing or falling and entombing something or someone inside. "Seas", for some people are very, very frightening and confusing, they hold many secrets that we only know about through teachings, offers of new things that sound like the impossible may suddenly become reality to an open mind. "Within us" makes me think of the soul. Everyone's souls have fears and all of us cache our most precious thoughts, feelings and desires from one another in fear of criticism, unaware that creativity is nothing without it. These suggestions give me the approach that we are all held in our conscience by the lack of fictional and inventive thoughts. In Basics, what I'm trying to say is that facts are very important but creativity is the point where you hold control in what is. All in all I can explain just what I apprehend when I hear that quote by F. Kafka “Books and literature are the strong weapon that free you from your concealed self.”

The idea of liberating or freeing comes in for people who stick with the facts and only the facts. It can seem like they are captivated in the world of strict, proven information. That’s why fiction can open new doors and awaken the mind to new places and creatures only to be found in the mind. So my shortened term “Books liberate imagination.” can explain what the above quote means to me.

My ice axe is very dear to me. The Chronicles of Narnia are the books that shatter my thick ice as if it were a thin sheet of glass. Narnia is the world where impossible things burst their way into reality and make you stay up all night reading. The author, C. S. Lewis, is a wonderful writer that can turn the most precious biblical stories into page-turners. For me that thought is important because I am a Christian and having the beautiful religion I live by put into a more discreet form is heart warming. When put into less familiar versions biblical adventures can quietly sneak it’s way into the imagination of mind imprisoned people world wide and maybe be the flare that starts their curiosity about the Christian religion . I also enjoy how C. S. Lewis uses Aslan, the Lion as a representation of God. Our god has many names and an example of one is The Lion of Judah. Our God is known to be demanding and “untamed” as Aslan is described. I adore the fact that C. S. Lewis uses fictional characters and supernatural happenings as representations of stories from the Bible.