Wednesday, December 5, 2007
My Wallet!
When randomly discovering another person’s wallet, what assumptions would you conclude? Can a wallet itself clearly map out your personality? I feel that delving into a wallet is quite an absurd way to obtain information about one’s personality. Yes, you can find out some of interesting information, but it would be rather vague. For example, you can find out that a person has a membership to a movie rental store but you can’t possibly know what genre of movies is actually preferred by the person. I feel that your wallet my cover the hard evidence, but doesn’t provide the details. However, what assumptions would be made if my wallet were under close inspection of another? When examining my wallet I do notice some things that would be of particular significance. I maintain an almost perfect checkbook. I make sure that it is always balanced and will spend a great deal of time researching the problem if I am even more than a cent off! I’m sure you could assume that from my book lies someone who enjoys keeping track of her personal expenses… Not to mention low on cash, I prefer card transactions. I have an asb card, which clearly suggests that I am currently a student. I have a gym membership, which may suggest that I am into physical fitness or that I am trying to get back to a healthy state. Inside my wallet is a driver’s license. On that drivers license is my overall description… maybe add a few pounds and a inch to get a more accurate description… Regardless, my driver’s license can tell a lot. My address is clearly listed as well as my birthrate and that I need corrective lenses to be able to drive. I have pictures of my family and friends, but mainly pictures of my boyfriend. From that one may be able to assume that I am very family orientated and love my boyfriend, with is a true and accurate assumption; however there are aspects of my life that are not available for anyone to see. There is no way to indicate my special interests or passions in life; my personality or usual tendencies. I feel that there are numerous aspects of my life that my wallet fails to point out. I feel that my wallet gives an overall feel that I am stingy with money, obsessed with working out, and my life consists of my family and boyfriend. However my life is much different. It is full of happiness and passion for life. There is so much more to me as an individual. I have thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. I plan on becoming a registered nurse; I want my life to be meaningful to others as well as my own. My wallet fails to mention how much happiness I receive when for one day all that I do is quilt. It fails to mention how passionate I am about my religion and faith. That without church my life would be meaningless. There’s nothing that indicates I love romance novels, or that I adore movies that are “chick flicks” and cry no matter the times I’ve watched. There are so many assumptions that one can make over one’s wallet, but until you meet the person you can’t prove them to be true… after all even though it’s on my driver’s license I really don’t weigh 130!
Introduction to "My Wallet" - Writers Choice
What does a wallet say about a person? Can you find out everything that there is to know? The prompt was to write about your wallet and it’s contents; to analyze how your identity is defined. Culture influences you to make assumptions based on appearances and trivial information. This assignment challenged me to look at my wallet, or personal possessions, and analyze it from a different cultural perspective. To become aware that people can pass judgment over something so insignificant is rather disturbing. “I feel that your wallet my cover the hard evidence, but doesn’t provide the details.” Yes, a wallet can tell you some facts, but it neglects to tell you the things that can matter the most about a person. I chose this because not only did I enjoy writing it, but also it turned out to be one of my favorite pieces. I felt that the writing reflected my writing abilities and clearly is a representation of my personality. The paper is rather intriguing, in that it wasn’t simply an overview of what was in my wallet; it was a clear step to becoming an interesting writer with clever commentary and viable arguments. Passages like, “There are so many assumptions that one can make over one’s wallet, but until you meet the person you can’t prove them to be true… after all even though it’s on my driver’s license I really don’t weigh 130,” show that I can create something interesting to read. This assignment with is a step outside normalcy for me because I usually am quite bland; however several passages even now impress me. I clearly demonstrated in this paper that I could branch out and look into something as personal as my wallet and successfully analyze it.
Christian Churches are Communities
-What makes this group a community? What holds the group together?
-A church consists of a congregation of people that are there for the sole purpose to be connected to “the body of Christ.” Each person is there to support one another in their journey to become closer to God. The faith each person holds helps hold the church together. There are no people that are greater than another, for they are all equal in the eyes of God.
-What interests, needs, and values do these people share?
-The church as a place to worship their God. The people that attend value the word of God and the messages it brings. There is a way of life that each person aspires to be. The church takes care of its members in any time of need. If there is something needed for a specific family or member such as food, clothing or counseling, the church provides care. A church is a family, brothers and sisters in Christ, they are there for each other at all times in their relationship with God. A church is full of many different people so there are always different activities occurring! There are classes, meetings and special events planned for all ages to attend. There is so much more to church than a simple service every Sunday; it’s a place that brings people together.
-What tensions or differences work against the cohesion of this community?
-All churches and communities in general will have problems such as gossip and separation. No person is perfect; there will be dysfunctional aspects to every community. The church frowns upon acts that cause problems because the church is meant to have positive influences that impact its members. Society itself influences the members as well. When the members obtain ideas and influences from society, it can cause issues such as people questioning their faith; thus causing problems in the church community.
-How do you fit in this group? What makes this community one you want to be apart of?
-I feel that I fit into this community simply because I have the same beliefs and desire to be apart of it. I believe that I need to go to church in order to stay on the right path in my relationship with my God. I am actively involved with my church and love to be apart of all the activities. I want to be apart of a group of people that are there to support me in my walk with God. Everyone is supportive in whatever you do and is understanding and not judgmental. I belong there!
-A church consists of a congregation of people that are there for the sole purpose to be connected to “the body of Christ.” Each person is there to support one another in their journey to become closer to God. The faith each person holds helps hold the church together. There are no people that are greater than another, for they are all equal in the eyes of God.
-What interests, needs, and values do these people share?
-The church as a place to worship their God. The people that attend value the word of God and the messages it brings. There is a way of life that each person aspires to be. The church takes care of its members in any time of need. If there is something needed for a specific family or member such as food, clothing or counseling, the church provides care. A church is a family, brothers and sisters in Christ, they are there for each other at all times in their relationship with God. A church is full of many different people so there are always different activities occurring! There are classes, meetings and special events planned for all ages to attend. There is so much more to church than a simple service every Sunday; it’s a place that brings people together.
-What tensions or differences work against the cohesion of this community?
-All churches and communities in general will have problems such as gossip and separation. No person is perfect; there will be dysfunctional aspects to every community. The church frowns upon acts that cause problems because the church is meant to have positive influences that impact its members. Society itself influences the members as well. When the members obtain ideas and influences from society, it can cause issues such as people questioning their faith; thus causing problems in the church community.
-How do you fit in this group? What makes this community one you want to be apart of?
-I feel that I fit into this community simply because I have the same beliefs and desire to be apart of it. I believe that I need to go to church in order to stay on the right path in my relationship with my God. I am actively involved with my church and love to be apart of all the activities. I want to be apart of a group of people that are there to support me in my walk with God. Everyone is supportive in whatever you do and is understanding and not judgmental. I belong there!
An Introduction to Christian Churches- Audience and Voice
At the time of creating this blog posting, our class was learning about communities. Communities have cultural assumptions that are to be considered when identifying or classifying a group of people as a community. The assumptions were: communities provide us with a sense of stability, they serve our needs, and they accept us for who we are. The objective was to choose a group that we felt met the requirements as being a community; a group that we were a part of or connected to. Everyone is apart of a community in one aspect or another. I chose this piece because I was forced to truly analyze something personal in my life. I identified myself with something and posted it for the world to see. Before learning about the community assumptions I hadn’t really thought of my church as a community, simply an aspect of my life; however, I was pleased to see that my Christian church do follow the guidelines. I realized that I was apart of a wonderful community. Because I made this writing assignment hold a religious tone, I was sure that I had a specific audience that I was targeting. I felt that my purpose was to demonstrate how a Christian church is in fact a community, a significant group of people. I felt that this assignment helped me grow as an individual because I proposed and argued that churches are communities, but it was up to the audience to decide if I was accurate. It was difficult to post something that is so personal and such a large aspect of your life knowing that others could oppose it. English 101 D, as well as this paper, forced me to open up; to truly express your ideas, regardless if they are right or wrong.
"I am What I eat"
In my family food is more than just nourishment to our bodies, it’s heeling to our souls. I’m not trying to say that we overeat or love food to an excessive extent, but rather I say this because food is what brings our family together; it makes us whole. As time passes, our lives seem to become more occupied with work and things outside the family; we begin loose connection and bonding with those who matter most. When my family comes together it’s always for dinner. Sitting at my mother’s table we are linked once again. We talk and laugh while enjoying a wonderful meal. It’s not about what type of food it was or even if it tasted right; food brings my family closer together. When getting together now, it makes me remember when I was young. My parents made my brother and I eat with them up until we had jobs in high school. They felt that dinner with everyone was important to stay together; in order to remain connected as a family. I am so glad for what they did; they were not simply feeding us dinner, but instilling values and traditions that made us feel complete and whole as a family. In the future when I begin to raise a family, I will also insist on having dinner as a family; I must maintain tradition.
“Food,” the word in itself can cause a rather unfathomable amount of thoughts to travel through ones mind. The thought of food can do more than make you salivate; it assists you in remembering those moments and took your breath away; moments like a proposal over dinner, or Thanksgiving with friends or family. There will always be moments in our lives where food will play a significant part of a memory. In America food is our glue, it assists in helping people stay connected. Our culture’s events, practices, and lifestyles revolve around food. It makes sense that our lives reflect food in all aspects; for food is essential to life. Food is our nourishment to our minds, and souls, not simply our bodies. America is known for food being a means to meet with one another. It’s actually quite disturbing that America is slowly loosing that connection. Fast food is taking over America by force. In an article written by Richard Pillsbury, he discusses how Americans are loosing quality time that should be spent. He argues that dinner should be spent with family at the dinner table because it insures that children will grow to become better individuals; that we must maintain this tradition. He states, “The replacement of the family dinner table by the restaurant has been amazingly swift” (Pillsbury 190). He then continued saying, “How many parents will wonder why their relationship with their children is not like their with their parents” (Pillsbury 192)? These passages from the author clearly show how not only is food important to American culture, but to the overall well being of our youth. With all the meals spent apart, there can be no other time for connection. In my family, this particular American tradition of eating together regularly has always been enforced. We do enjoy eating out, but only occasionally. There is something about cooking together and eating at home; for a moment, everyone is connected with one another. There is time to visit and share events of the day. I suppose it’s fair and accurate to say that food is essential to my family’s overall well being. I’m not trying to say that we overeat or love food to an excessive extent, but rather I say this because food is what brings our family together; it makes us whole. As time passes, our lives seem to become more occupied with work and things outside the family; we begin loose connection and bonding with those who matter most. When my family comes together it’s always for dinner. Sitting at my mother’s table we are linked once again. We talk and laugh while enjoying a wonderful meal. It’s not about what type of food it was or even if it tasted right; food brings my family closer together. When getting together now, it makes me remember when I was young. My parents made my brother and I eat with them up until we had jobs in high school. They felt that dinner with everyone was important to stay together; in order to remain connected as a family. I am so glad for what they did; they were not simply feeding us dinner, but instilling values and traditions that made us feel complete and whole as a family. In the future when I begin to raise a family, I will also insist on having dinner as a family; I must maintain tradition. I feel that food is important to American culture. Though we are becoming a nation where fast food is “easier” and less work, it is important that no matter what eaten or where it is consumed, food should always be eaten together, with friends and family.
Pillsbury, Richard
Thoroughly Modern Dining. Ed. Leasa Burton. Boston: Bedford/ ST. Martin’s, 2006. Pgs. 190-192.
“Food,” the word in itself can cause a rather unfathomable amount of thoughts to travel through ones mind. The thought of food can do more than make you salivate; it assists you in remembering those moments and took your breath away; moments like a proposal over dinner, or Thanksgiving with friends or family. There will always be moments in our lives where food will play a significant part of a memory. In America food is our glue, it assists in helping people stay connected. Our culture’s events, practices, and lifestyles revolve around food. It makes sense that our lives reflect food in all aspects; for food is essential to life. Food is our nourishment to our minds, and souls, not simply our bodies. America is known for food being a means to meet with one another. It’s actually quite disturbing that America is slowly loosing that connection. Fast food is taking over America by force. In an article written by Richard Pillsbury, he discusses how Americans are loosing quality time that should be spent. He argues that dinner should be spent with family at the dinner table because it insures that children will grow to become better individuals; that we must maintain this tradition. He states, “The replacement of the family dinner table by the restaurant has been amazingly swift” (Pillsbury 190). He then continued saying, “How many parents will wonder why their relationship with their children is not like their with their parents” (Pillsbury 192)? These passages from the author clearly show how not only is food important to American culture, but to the overall well being of our youth. With all the meals spent apart, there can be no other time for connection. In my family, this particular American tradition of eating together regularly has always been enforced. We do enjoy eating out, but only occasionally. There is something about cooking together and eating at home; for a moment, everyone is connected with one another. There is time to visit and share events of the day. I suppose it’s fair and accurate to say that food is essential to my family’s overall well being. I’m not trying to say that we overeat or love food to an excessive extent, but rather I say this because food is what brings our family together; it makes us whole. As time passes, our lives seem to become more occupied with work and things outside the family; we begin loose connection and bonding with those who matter most. When my family comes together it’s always for dinner. Sitting at my mother’s table we are linked once again. We talk and laugh while enjoying a wonderful meal. It’s not about what type of food it was or even if it tasted right; food brings my family closer together. When getting together now, it makes me remember when I was young. My parents made my brother and I eat with them up until we had jobs in high school. They felt that dinner with everyone was important to stay together; in order to remain connected as a family. I am so glad for what they did; they were not simply feeding us dinner, but instilling values and traditions that made us feel complete and whole as a family. In the future when I begin to raise a family, I will also insist on having dinner as a family; I must maintain tradition. I feel that food is important to American culture. Though we are becoming a nation where fast food is “easier” and less work, it is important that no matter what eaten or where it is consumed, food should always be eaten together, with friends and family.
Pillsbury, Richard
Thoroughly Modern Dining. Ed. Leasa Burton. Boston: Bedford/ ST. Martin’s, 2006. Pgs. 190-192.
Introduction to "I am What I eat" - Revision
In reflecting on my writing pieces that I composed this semester several significant assignments came to mind. When I found out that there was a chance to re-write a piece I was most excited. I was required to choose a piece of writing that could use some assistance. This paper was first to come to my mind. It was a blog assignment that as I recall, was thrown together. Blog assignments, to me were a great way to express myself and display it for all to see. This particular assignment was intended to discuss how food affects America. In reviewing the assignment requirements and what content I actually covered, I was rather disappointed in what little I wrote. It was a way to discuss my family’s food traditions on holidays and everyday meals. I was also to cover how “mainstream America” eats in comparison to my family. The assignment gave several options of possible food, family and tradition topics to cover, but I simply discussed about what meals mean to my family. I think I could have covered the material more extensively. In my new revised draft I feel that I made it more enjoyable to read and that it was a better representation of my family traditions and of my writing abilities.
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