You Decide

Crispme Wallpapers

We live in an interactive world,

an interactive game,

First player, you’re the role model.

You can walk in the Frost,

Or you can choose a path to hike when the sun’s shining.

You can deconstruct your walls,

Or you can China it, porcelain heart once cracked by love.

                                              ——-

You can say nothing serious, but hope to be taken seriously.

You can place your heart on your sleeve, but be careful if you wash your hands.

Or you can place it in your back pocket, forget about it, and have it spin among your dirty laundry.

You can choose to be in the group of people that care,

Or care not.

You decide. If you care, you’ll decide now.

Inspired

Credit: Sharp About Your Prayers

You can catch anyone’s glance in a city of a billion personalities,

Their eyes can glimmer with curiosity,

A childish yearning to learn about the thoughts behind yours.

If your eye contact is strong, you feel your feet lifting

Taking baby steps to a developed connection.

You’re standing in front of each other, and maybe the regrets start to poison your mind,

And you feel like there’s a gray smudge in your eyes.

But what are you afraid of? You’re both human, both susceptible to past regrets, skeletons shaking in the closet.

Say something.

“I’m still learning to love, just starting to crawl.”

Our American-isms

 

When you think about America, do you think about it on a:

National level?

Societal level?

Community level?

My hypothesis is that we integrate into our communities more comfortably than into an “American culture.” We are ambiguous towards full assimilation because there are factors that discourage us.

Are we Americans if we support an oppressive system that restrains minorities?

Are we Americans if we support a federal government that we have the right–and the reason–to petition?

Are we Americans if we prefer cheeseburgers made by single mothers who are injudiciously labeled welfare queens?

Instead of questioning the superficial concepts of American culture, like “hook-up culture,” shouldn’t media continue to challenge American nationalism? If we are a federation of cultures, a cosmopolitan as Randolph Bourne wished for, then we cannot exist as a melting pot as well. To what extent do we allow ourselves to be American?

There are so many questions, and a plethora of sociological perspectives. My college classmates always display naiveté:

Well…we’re a diverse country and everyone has freedoms granted by the Constitution.

 

Everyone has an opportunity to education and employment, regardless of race or gender. We advanced through that discrimination.

 

Freedom. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness.

You would think that our courses make students more critical of American policies. You probably can’t believe that many people still think Columbus is a remarkable historical figure. Unfortunately, we all feign surprise at this point.

I will hopefully have an opportunity this year to ask different communities about the extent of their investment in American society and our role in the broader performance.