Blogging Around

For this prompt, I took a look at Rohan's first post, "What If?: World Peace," and Ryan's "An Inconvenient Truth: Standardized Tests Test Little."

Rohan was wondering whether a Utopian society would be all it is cracked up to be, and if human's would reach a point where there is no way to progress any further.

"This post reminded me a lot of John Lennon's "Imagine." This song talks a lot about sacrificing all we have done as a society, and reverting to pre-civilized times in order to achieve peace. I am as close as possible to 100% sure that won't happen, but Rohan brings up a good question. If we were able to create a Utopian society, would we even be satisfied by it?

If you look at life like you would a novel or movie, then the answer is no. No one would read a book where the character grows up in a wealthy family, loves life, is never sad, has a perfect family, and lives into his 90's. That would be incredibly boring. But even the most realistic books and films are far from actual life, so I can't make my judgment solely on that basis. No one knows how a Utopian society would be, because it has never been accomplished, but everyone will have to make that decision on their own."

In Ryan's post, he pointed out the many flaws in our standardized testing system. I agreed with him for the most part, but wondered if we had any other alternatives and pointed out some positive points about the system.

As I was reading your post I found myself agreeing with many things being said. But I also found myself questioning. Although these tests are not perfect, what alternatives do we have? With the SAT and ACT, colleges need to know how the deep the knowledge is of their potential students. These tests also act as a sort of filter, they reveal the kids with intelligence but not the grades, and/or kids with the grades but not the intelligence.

As for the middle school tests, I agree with (your) view on ISATS, but I think differently about Terra Novas. I believe the Terra Nova tests are an accurate "decider" for your high school classes, especially because it is not by any means the only factor that goes into the decision. It isn't fair to put a kid who isn't ready for honors in honors, or a kid who is ready in regular. These tests help eliminate problems like those.

This post reminded me a lot of John Lennon's "Imagine." This song talks a lot about sacrificing all we have done ed, but everyone will have to make that decision on their own.

Connection: Amir and Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown. I'm having trouble thinking of a kinder, more thoughtful, well-intentioned person. The emphasis on "well-intentioned" is due to his ability to botch all attempts of being helpful. He coaches the baseball team, kicks the football, loves the "little red haired girl," and tries to remain cheerful. He loses, misses, yearns, and fails, respectively. But it's hard not to like him.

Similarly, Amir wants only the best for Sohrab when attempting his adoption. But was bringing the boy to America the best for Hassan's son?

Obviously, living conditions in America are infinitely better than those in Afghanistan, so chances are Sohrab will live a much longer life after the move. Soraya also benefits from Sohrab, as she finally has the son that had evaded her all these years. By the time her husband had returned home, she had ever so generously created a bedroom for Sohrab, complete with toys, puzzles, games, and more. She was clearly thrilled by the prospect of a child. Lastly, and ostensibly the most important to this memoir, taking Sohrab home, along with rescuing him from Assef, clears Amir's conscience. Years after wronging Hassan, Amir seems to have forgiven himself for past actions, which is the purpose of Kite Runner.

On the other hand, although Sohrab is living longer in America, I don't think he is living better. In America, he is mopey, miserable, and mute. Afghanistan wasn't much better for him, but the happiest we ever saw the boy was while living in Afghanistan with Amir; before the suicide attempt at least. As for filling the hole in Soraya's heart, it must be very painful for her to watch her child suffer, undoubtedly blaming herself at least a little. If you believe the saying "It is better to have loved and (figuratively) lost, than to never have loved at all," then this might not be considered as much of a harmful aspect after all. As for Amir, one could argue he is adopting Sohrab out of his own selfish needs to eliminate his guilt. He didn't even want to pick him up and transfer him to another orphanage! It is a very weak and flawed argument since he came to love Sohrab, but it is there none the less.

The final aspect of the adoption process was its execution. Regardless of whether you think bringing Sohrab to America was a good idea, I think we can all agree the execution of the plan was not perfect. If Amir had only waited a few hours to tell Sohrab he was going back to an orphanage, he would've known of the alternative plan. But because he didn't, Sohrab only heard he was going back to the orphanage and proceeded to attempt suicide. This twist could not have come at a more terrible time, as Sohrab was finally beginning to warm up to his step-uncle. This ordeal makes the reader wonder what could have been, if only he had waited.

Revisiting the connection, Charlie Brown can't seem to get anything right , so why is he still a loved character? The answer is simple. It is human nature to forgive someone for their miscues, as long as they are trying their hardest. It is evident that Amir thinks he is doing the best he can for Sohrab. If you extend the metaphor, you realize that you can't blame Amir, even for the Sohrab's attempted suicide, because he's making an effort.

Best of the Week: Facts of Life

Earlier this week, Tim brought up a point that really hit home with me. On page 200 we learned that the Alliance had destroyed Baba's orphanage. Hosseini goes on to describe how hard Baba worked to make that orphanage a reality. "All the money he had spent, all those nights he'd sweated over the blueprints, all the visits to the construction site to make sure every brick, every beam, and every block was laid just right..." When asked why it was destroyed, Rahim quickly responded, "collateral damage." After reading the passage, Tim mentioned how things can take a great deal of time or energy to create or build, but only an instant to destroy...like Amir and Hassan's relationship. Amir had been working very diligently to construct his "brotherly" bond with Hassan. However, one moment's hesitation shattered the friendship.

Since I heard the idea, I have been trying to think of examples of "Unfair and Unproportional (the name I have given it)" in my own life, and I was surprised how many came up. I too, like Amir, have lost some friends over the years because of decisions I (or they) made. Another great example is the concept of finals. A student can work very hard all semester, only to lose their A because of one test taken in an hour and a half. Another memory that comes to mind was saving up for an iPod, only to have it fall in the sink after a year of use. On a more shallow note all of my preparation for fantasy football seems to have gone out the window so far because of one bad week. I have adopted the Cubs slogan of "Wait 'til Next Year."

Hearing Tim speak, I remember wishing I could use the "Inconvenient Truth" prompt this week. Loss and defeat are a natural part of life, but it just does not seem fair to me that one negative action can make more of a difference than ten positive ones. The best example I can think of is dating. If you are 29 and you meet a girl you think is great and the two of you decide to date, that's a positive action. But if after a long relationship, say five years, she decides to cut it off, where does that leave you? You are 34 and are no closer to a family then you were when you set off five years previous. That just doesn't seem right to me, especially when the breakup isn't necessarily anyone's fault. However, since this "U and U" is uncontrollable, one just has to do their best to prevent situations like these from occurring, and make the best of whatever does happen.

I'm sure everyone hopes situations like the orphanage being destroyed or Amir losing Hassan or my iPod getting water damage do not become a part of their lives, but as I previously said, this "U and U" is irrepressable. Even if you've spent a lot of time and energy on something, it is still prone to an attack. The successful people in this world are the ones who can accept defeat and move forward. I hope to be one of those people in the future.

Carry it Forward: Kite Runner

The purpose of a memoir is to discover something. Based on what we've read so far in Kite Runner by Khaleid Husseini, Amir's most vital discovery so far has been not to run away. Although the novel portrays this breakthrough in a very literal sense, I can envision it being drawn on in numerous ways. "Not running away"- from friends in need, troubles, challenges, or opportunities- is a standard I hope to carry forward from English class and into my everyday life.

I don't want to go through life a fugitive, constantly looking for a way to escape from problems that arise. If my goal truly is to take Amir's lesson to heart, I must confront whatever surfaces, because that way, I will never need to look back. "Why didn't I stand up for my friend? He would do and has done the same for me." "What if I had taken that job?" Questions like these can lead to terrible and chronic guilt like Amir, or an undying curiosity for what could have been. Both are feelings I have experienced in the past, and I would prefer not to head back down those roads.

Of the four examples I listed in the opening paragraph of this blog, I find the latter having the most value in my life. My mom's most adamant piece of advice to me through my high school years to date has been to be proactive. Being proactive, or not running away from opportunity, in my opinion, can only lead to positive things. Even if the initial outcome is negative, not knowing what the outcome would be is even worse. Plus, there is a high possibility the outcome is positive. By following this simple suggestion I have: joined band, gone to two dances, been in V-Show, participated in Key Club, and even tried out for Academy, enabling me to write this blog. None of that would have happened if I let the world come to me; I had to go out and get it.

Not only have I used this lesson in the past, but I plan to utilize it even more in the future. The college application process is a great example, and even further ahead is the job hunt. In both instances, I will not end up where I want to be unless I am hands-on in the process. I also aim to be a good friend, spouse, and father in the future, standing up for those I love.

I used to believe everything would work itself out in the end, but I now realize that is not how our world works. Those who want something work hard for it, and are rewarded for being proactive, not passive. In addition, the people who stand up in the face of adversity are the true heroes of our society, not those who wither when the going gets tough. I hope I can live my life following those two standards, because not all things will come easy.