I’m very worried about this technology fast.
At first, I wasn’t worried because I grew up in a house without a TV and I don’t use my cell phone much (weird, I know). I am pretty attached to my computer and the internet (especially facebook), but I really don’t think I’ll miss it much. My big worry is being without my ipod.
I love music. I’ve always loved music—both listening to and participating in music. I was in choral, band, concert choir, and musicals in high school. To me, one of the most important parts of the Mass is the music, and I often judge a church on how good its music is. Music relaxes me, lifts my mood, makes me want to dance, and distracts me from problems in my life.
It’s the distracting that is the whole reason behind this technology fast: the whole point of the technology fast is to be present in the moment to ourselves (what we’re thinking and feeling), learning to live simply and recognize the difference between needs and wants, to get to know our community instead of staying in such close contact with people who aren’t there, and to the other people in our community.
As my sister, Laura, and my roommate from my senior year at Salem, Jane, can attest, I am addicted to the music of Tegan and Sara. I feely admit I’m addicted and I warned Jane not long after we moved in. Fortunately, Jane likes T+S too—or at least she did (it’s very possible she got sick of them and now hates them, I don’t know). In the past two years or so I don’t think I’ve gone more than two or three days without listening to T+S music.
I’m not sure what it is about their music, but on a good day it makes me feel even happier, and almost without fail helps me feel better on a bad day—even if only a little bit. I have a playlist on my ipod called “feel better” that I listen to when I’m stressed out, angry, or sad. On this playlist are the songs that give me comfort or can always make me feel better, and of the 60 songs on this playlist, 24 are Tegan and Sara songs.
Long before I was a Tegan and Sara fan (and that was a long time ago since I started listening to them in high school), music has been a sort of lifeline for me—as I know it is for many people, particularly teenagers. I honestly don’t know what it will be like to go a month and a half without my ipod.
I’m not trying to be overdramatic—I know I’ll survive a month and a half without music. However, I do anticipate that the first month is likely to be one of the most challenging months this year and the time when I will most want to have Tegan and Sara handy.
In the past few years, I’ve become very good at finding the positive in most situations, and--outside of the obvious possible positive effects of the technology fast (simplifying my life, being present in the moment, getting to know my community and participating in community instead of people I’m not with or locking myself in my room with my music, etc.)--once the first month plus some weeks are over and I can have my ipod I’ll probably appreciate my music even more. After all, we all know distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Reading List, part 2
I’ve already written about the books I’ve read this summer that are on the reading list CCSC sent me. In this post I’ll write about the books I’ve read that are not in the CCSC list.
When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
This book has been a good distraction/break from some of the other things I’ve been reading and thinking about. Even though this book is pretty dark at times, Sedaris has the ability to write about unfunny things in hilarious ways and the darkness is nothing compared to genocide. What do I think I’ll bring from this for my year of service? Not much, but if I ever become so stressed out that I’m tempted to start smoking (not that likely) I can think about how Sedaris describes the hotels/hotel rooms where smokers can stay, and, since I like traveling, I’m sure the temptation will pass quickly.
Feminist Theory: the Intellectual Traditions of American Feminism by Josephine Donovan
I’m somewhat familiar with the modern feminist movement and modern feminist ideas, but I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about feminist theory. I’ve only really started paying attention to women’s issues and feminism for a few years and have only considered myself a feminist for about a year and a half. I paid no attention in my Women’s Studies class my first year of college (it was a three hour class on a Monday night that was taught by a monotone professor and there were a lot of annoying people in the class, what can I say?) and I hate to admit it, but I really didn’t care.
I chose this particular book because it seemed like it was a good basic overview, but mostly because it was $0.01 on Amazon. It turned out to be a good choice. I really enjoyed the book because it was so informative and gave me a lot to think about. Also, I think I can take a lot from this book—and feminism in general—and apply it to my year of service.
Feminism can be applied to almost anything that involves women, and whenever a group is oppressed or marginalized, the women of that group have it even worse than the men because not only are they faced with whatever form the oppression takes from their oppressors, but they are also faced with sexism from their oppressors and from within their own group. In addition, rape is almost always a huge component of current conflict in areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur and other attacks on groups of people that force them to be refugees.
I know that I will have to be very conscientious in my work of many, many cultural differences and among these differences is the treatment and status of women. Interestingly, women from two of the countries that a large number of the refugees are coming from this year—Burma (Myanmar) and Bhutan—have traditionally had nearly as high standing as men. However, under their current oppressive governments (a military junta in the case of Burma), the role and value of women significantly decreased.
The Journals of Judge Edward Godfrey, Vol. 2 1870-1877
I read this for my internship at the Bangor Historical Society and Museum. I doubt there is much here I can apply to my year of service—even less than in David Sedaris’ book. This book is VERY boring, and also pretty creepy because Godfrey—who was in his sixties—mostly kept the company of high school girls. Every time he mentioned a woman or girl he also mentioned if they were attractive or unattractive and if he considers them to be a lady. In addition, he included some pretty sexist poetry he’d written and published in the local newspaper (one about how society was allowing women to turn into men). He eventually married a woman who was 24 and when he was 67 (he’d been “courting” her since she was 18 and still in high school).
When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
This book has been a good distraction/break from some of the other things I’ve been reading and thinking about. Even though this book is pretty dark at times, Sedaris has the ability to write about unfunny things in hilarious ways and the darkness is nothing compared to genocide. What do I think I’ll bring from this for my year of service? Not much, but if I ever become so stressed out that I’m tempted to start smoking (not that likely) I can think about how Sedaris describes the hotels/hotel rooms where smokers can stay, and, since I like traveling, I’m sure the temptation will pass quickly.
Feminist Theory: the Intellectual Traditions of American Feminism by Josephine Donovan
I’m somewhat familiar with the modern feminist movement and modern feminist ideas, but I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about feminist theory. I’ve only really started paying attention to women’s issues and feminism for a few years and have only considered myself a feminist for about a year and a half. I paid no attention in my Women’s Studies class my first year of college (it was a three hour class on a Monday night that was taught by a monotone professor and there were a lot of annoying people in the class, what can I say?) and I hate to admit it, but I really didn’t care.
I chose this particular book because it seemed like it was a good basic overview, but mostly because it was $0.01 on Amazon. It turned out to be a good choice. I really enjoyed the book because it was so informative and gave me a lot to think about. Also, I think I can take a lot from this book—and feminism in general—and apply it to my year of service.
Feminism can be applied to almost anything that involves women, and whenever a group is oppressed or marginalized, the women of that group have it even worse than the men because not only are they faced with whatever form the oppression takes from their oppressors, but they are also faced with sexism from their oppressors and from within their own group. In addition, rape is almost always a huge component of current conflict in areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur and other attacks on groups of people that force them to be refugees.
I know that I will have to be very conscientious in my work of many, many cultural differences and among these differences is the treatment and status of women. Interestingly, women from two of the countries that a large number of the refugees are coming from this year—Burma (Myanmar) and Bhutan—have traditionally had nearly as high standing as men. However, under their current oppressive governments (a military junta in the case of Burma), the role and value of women significantly decreased.
The Journals of Judge Edward Godfrey, Vol. 2 1870-1877
I read this for my internship at the Bangor Historical Society and Museum. I doubt there is much here I can apply to my year of service—even less than in David Sedaris’ book. This book is VERY boring, and also pretty creepy because Godfrey—who was in his sixties—mostly kept the company of high school girls. Every time he mentioned a woman or girl he also mentioned if they were attractive or unattractive and if he considers them to be a lady. In addition, he included some pretty sexist poetry he’d written and published in the local newspaper (one about how society was allowing women to turn into men). He eventually married a woman who was 24 and when he was 67 (he’d been “courting” her since she was 18 and still in high school).
Monday, August 2, 2010
Preparations: The Reading List, part 1
In preparation for my year of service, this summer I’ve been reading some books from a suggested reading list provided by Catholic Charities Service Corps (CCSC) along with some other books that I’ll post about later. The summer isn’t quite over yet, but here’s what I’ve read from the CCSC list so far:
Not On Our Watch: the Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast
This book is particularly relevant to what I’ll be doing in my year of service since I’m working for refugee services. This book describes the horrifying genocide being carried out on the people of Darfur and the terrible conditions they face even after escaping to refugee camps. More than a description of genocide, it is a call to action to stop the genocide since our government basically isn’t doing anything. The authors write about finding a way out of apathy and different ways to pressure our government to take action.
This book was as disturbing as it was supposed to be and it took me a very long time to get through it because I could only read a little at a time of the parts about the victims of genocide (since it was so upsetting), and because the other parts of it tended to be pretty repetitive and boring. The fact that I have such a hard time finishing this kind of book—along with my not finishing the movie El Norte that was on the film list provided by CCSC—bothers me because I can’t simply walk away from or turn off the real people who have lived through these horrors that I will be serving. I think it’s possible that my empathy for people who are oppressed and marginalized—which was one of the driving factors in my decision to do a year of service—may make the work more challenging for me.
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer
I really liked most of what this book had to say about not trying live your life as you think you “ought” to, but instead listening to yourself and knowing your strengths and weaknesses so you can live and do what God intended for you. As it relates to my year of service, I’d been thinking about doing a year of service for a really long time because I thought I “ought” to do something good and because my parents encouraged me to do so (or nagged, whichever you like better). However, I didn’t actually start seriously looking into a year of service until I felt the “call” for myself. That being said, there are plenty of things I’ve done because I think I “ought” to do them, and not because I really want to or feel called to do.
Also interesting was Palmer’s emphasis on living your personal “truth” even when it isn’t the same as what society accepts. He says the prison you create for yourself in the “half-life” you live by living a divided life is worse than how society will punish you. I don’t think this is true all the time, but it’s interesting to think about. Personally, I have a hard time sharing and rarely share my “truth” even when there is little to no chance of “punishment.”
I did have one major problem with this book: in order to do most of the things Palmer suggests to hear and respond to the call of your true vocation (which he says each person must do), the person following these steps would have to be at least somewhat privileged. Most anyone who is willing to put in the time/effort/emotional energy to examine their inner workings and inner truth can find it, but not everyone can just stop whatever they’re doing at the moment and follow their true “vocation.” For example, what if someone is called to be a nurse, but s/he doesn’t have the education and cannot afford to go back to school because they’re working two jobs to support their family? What if you are simply trying to survive? All of this isn’t Palmer’s fault, of course; however, he doesn’t even acknowledge his place of privilege. Also, in some cases there are much bigger obstacles than the “self” or “ego,” as Palmer calls it, standing in the way of discovering personal truth and then following that truth.
Another VERY SUPER SERIOUS problem I had was that Palmer makes the egregious mistake of using exclamation points liberally (sometimes as many as two or three a page). Not only is this annoying, but he’s also breaking an important writing rule: every writer is allowed only three published exclamation points in their entire career as a writer. Clearly, Palmer is in some serious exclamation point debt after the first chapter of this book alone.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
I’m sure the ideas in this book will come in handy over the next year and, really, the rest of my life. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone spoke respectfully, really listened to what their personal feelings and needs are, could communicate those feelings/needs, and listened to the feelings/needs of others without judging. It’s not very realistic—especially if not everyone who is communicating is using this guide to nonviolent communication—but I think even if I’m only able to consistently adopt an aspect or two of nonviolent communication as described in this book I’ll be a better communicator.
Making a Living While Making a Difference: A Guide to Creating Careers with a Conscience by Melissa Everett
So, I’m not finished with this book (I’m about half-way through), but I thought I’d write about it anyway. Everett makes a good point in this book that in order to make a positive difference in the world, you don’t have to have one of the careers that people typically think of when thinking about what makes a difference such as being a doctor, teacher, social worker, environmental activist, etc. This book is about looking “outside the box” and figuring out how you can make a difference using the skills, experience, and interests you already have. There are exercises, questions, and worksheets in this book to help you recognize and name your skills, relevant experience, and interests. Parts of this book are a bit boring, but I think it will ultimately be worth reading, especially while discerning what I want to do after my year of service to continue serving others and making a positive difference in the world.
Not On Our Watch: the Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast
This book is particularly relevant to what I’ll be doing in my year of service since I’m working for refugee services. This book describes the horrifying genocide being carried out on the people of Darfur and the terrible conditions they face even after escaping to refugee camps. More than a description of genocide, it is a call to action to stop the genocide since our government basically isn’t doing anything. The authors write about finding a way out of apathy and different ways to pressure our government to take action.
This book was as disturbing as it was supposed to be and it took me a very long time to get through it because I could only read a little at a time of the parts about the victims of genocide (since it was so upsetting), and because the other parts of it tended to be pretty repetitive and boring. The fact that I have such a hard time finishing this kind of book—along with my not finishing the movie El Norte that was on the film list provided by CCSC—bothers me because I can’t simply walk away from or turn off the real people who have lived through these horrors that I will be serving. I think it’s possible that my empathy for people who are oppressed and marginalized—which was one of the driving factors in my decision to do a year of service—may make the work more challenging for me.
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer
I really liked most of what this book had to say about not trying live your life as you think you “ought” to, but instead listening to yourself and knowing your strengths and weaknesses so you can live and do what God intended for you. As it relates to my year of service, I’d been thinking about doing a year of service for a really long time because I thought I “ought” to do something good and because my parents encouraged me to do so (or nagged, whichever you like better). However, I didn’t actually start seriously looking into a year of service until I felt the “call” for myself. That being said, there are plenty of things I’ve done because I think I “ought” to do them, and not because I really want to or feel called to do.
Also interesting was Palmer’s emphasis on living your personal “truth” even when it isn’t the same as what society accepts. He says the prison you create for yourself in the “half-life” you live by living a divided life is worse than how society will punish you. I don’t think this is true all the time, but it’s interesting to think about. Personally, I have a hard time sharing and rarely share my “truth” even when there is little to no chance of “punishment.”
I did have one major problem with this book: in order to do most of the things Palmer suggests to hear and respond to the call of your true vocation (which he says each person must do), the person following these steps would have to be at least somewhat privileged. Most anyone who is willing to put in the time/effort/emotional energy to examine their inner workings and inner truth can find it, but not everyone can just stop whatever they’re doing at the moment and follow their true “vocation.” For example, what if someone is called to be a nurse, but s/he doesn’t have the education and cannot afford to go back to school because they’re working two jobs to support their family? What if you are simply trying to survive? All of this isn’t Palmer’s fault, of course; however, he doesn’t even acknowledge his place of privilege. Also, in some cases there are much bigger obstacles than the “self” or “ego,” as Palmer calls it, standing in the way of discovering personal truth and then following that truth.
Another VERY SUPER SERIOUS problem I had was that Palmer makes the egregious mistake of using exclamation points liberally (sometimes as many as two or three a page). Not only is this annoying, but he’s also breaking an important writing rule: every writer is allowed only three published exclamation points in their entire career as a writer. Clearly, Palmer is in some serious exclamation point debt after the first chapter of this book alone.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
I’m sure the ideas in this book will come in handy over the next year and, really, the rest of my life. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone spoke respectfully, really listened to what their personal feelings and needs are, could communicate those feelings/needs, and listened to the feelings/needs of others without judging. It’s not very realistic—especially if not everyone who is communicating is using this guide to nonviolent communication—but I think even if I’m only able to consistently adopt an aspect or two of nonviolent communication as described in this book I’ll be a better communicator.
Making a Living While Making a Difference: A Guide to Creating Careers with a Conscience by Melissa Everett
So, I’m not finished with this book (I’m about half-way through), but I thought I’d write about it anyway. Everett makes a good point in this book that in order to make a positive difference in the world, you don’t have to have one of the careers that people typically think of when thinking about what makes a difference such as being a doctor, teacher, social worker, environmental activist, etc. This book is about looking “outside the box” and figuring out how you can make a difference using the skills, experience, and interests you already have. There are exercises, questions, and worksheets in this book to help you recognize and name your skills, relevant experience, and interests. Parts of this book are a bit boring, but I think it will ultimately be worth reading, especially while discerning what I want to do after my year of service to continue serving others and making a positive difference in the world.
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