Reflective journal, 2nd week

So today I was sitting in one of the Dorm lounges and one of my friends was playing a game called “We  (heart) Katamari.” The purpose of the game it that you’re two little men rolling up a giant ball of miscellaneous items and you try and make the ball as big as possible. The items range from paper clips to cats. It has no real meaning but yet there were still a bunch of us around the TV cheering on the two people playing. We were talking about the game has no point and yet we still were choosing to watch them play it. Then I realized that the cheering wasn’t even related to the game, but instead to the shared experience. It may be a pointless game, but it’s a way that we can all hang out together. I realized that it doesn’t really matter what it is that we’re doing but we always have a fun time. It may be something as simple as sitting around doing nothing to going to a movie followed by bowling, either way we have a lot of fun. It makes you realize that even the simplest pleasures in life should be appreciated. Too many times, situations like this are overlooked. We have to appreciate every day for what it offers, even if it is just watching two people play “We  (heart) Katamari.”






Okay so today I was talking to one of my friends that I met down here at UNL and we were trying to recollect how it is that we’ve met our friends. And we realized that with the majority of the friends that we have we met by pure coincidence. I don’t know what things would be life without the friends that I have down here. But yet we met by chance. One of my friends I happened to meet because we played a video game together, another because there was a big bunch of people going to a movie, and another simply because I heard the words “Rubix Cube”. It’s strange to think that my closest friends here at college all became linked because of occurrences that could simply have been overlooked. So, I’ve realized that no matter what your first impression of someone is always treat them as if they’re going to become your new best friend. Because you never know when your paths will cross again and what the circumstances will be like then. I guess you have to treat everyone around you as if they may one day be your closest friend. My personal experiences have given me my own perspective on the Golden Rule.

Reflecting Journal Assignment #2

The topic for reflection is the movie Crash. So tonight I watched the movie Crash. And if you’ve never seen the movie (even if you have) this may sound like a very strange topic for a reflective journal, and since I’m new at this it may be a weird topic. The basis of Crash is a bunch of people that appear irrelevant to each other. The only link that appears to connect these individuals is intense racism. The interesting aspect of this racism is that is of all cultures by all races. Whereas most racism is represented as Whites vs. Blacks this movie explores racism among Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Arabs. The subject is extremely touchy but it was very interesting to see how each different race/culture perceived the other. It made you question your own hidden thoughts about these different races. I believe that viewing this movie was an incredible experience and I’m looking forward to the next time I can watch this film.

I feel as though I am a person that can look beyond race, color, and religion to discover the true person on the inside, but I realized from this movie that everyone has hidden racism. No matter what race you are you are bound to think differently in some way about someone of a race that differs from yours. This movie is very successful in having us realize what we may perceive is often completely the opposite of what is the truth, that our assumptions of other cultures differ from reality. With the world around us mixing the different cultures together we wonder if some day we will finally be able to look beyond skin color or language and discover what people are REALLY like.

Reflecting Journal Assignment #1

My topic for reflection is Time Management. I used to be excellent at managing my time in order to make sure that everything got completed before time without any complications. But recently I have been having major troubles trying to manage my time. And while I’m still getting all of my work done I’m completing my work later and later at night. It’s not even as if I’m having troubles realizing when things must be completed by and how much time they will take. In most situations I know exactly how long a project will take me and when it is due. I consciously make the decision to put it off until the last moment. Even when I tell myself that I will work harder at completing the task at hand I still get distracted by the same old things. I always want to spend time with my friends and family whenever possible, even if it means putting off my homework until later in the night or earlier in the morning. This constantly causes problems because I am more tired during class even though I could have been well rested for class if only I had better managed my time. Tonight for instance I planned on writing a reflective journal, it’s not as though it slipped my mind so I crunched to get it completed. I intended on working on the journal tonight, but then my friends wanted to watch a movie. I wanted to hang out with my friends so I watched the movie knowing that it would force me to write this journal late into the night.

From my experience with my lack of time management I have learned that things can be completed much easier when worked on ahead of time rather than just ensuring that the project gets completed before its deadline. I intend on improving my time management as the semester continues, but I know that I will have to make a conscious effort in order for it to improve. Hopefully experiences like this will drive me to improve on my time management skills.

Continuity

Okay, so it is now 5 am of January 6, 2006. So yesterday, technically, was Nick's b-day and we celebrated by playing HALO at my house. It was pretty fun because it was me, Nick, Tyler, Garrett L., and Jon. I was really happy because i got to hang out with all of them and that Nick spent his b-day playing HALO rather than going out to drink. So we were playing HALO till one o'clock and then almost everyone decided to leave. The only person that stayed was Nick. And somehow we got into a conversation about politics, then we complained because our views on politics are very similar and therefore gained nothing from the conversation. Then we started talking about religion. It was an extremely interesting talk and i believe that it may have been the true reason that he stayed around. We both shared what we believe (With a few moments of biblical comic relief). And he just now left to go home.
I've had a wonderful time here in Loup City while being home for break, it's been nice being able to hang out with the friends that we had during high school. [i hate to say high school friends, because i really hope that they'll be friends for a long time, even though high school is over.] I still don't understand some of my friends, and i truly believe that i never will. I had a wonderful Christmas with the family in Disney World. You truly don't understand how great it is to be with your family until you've lost a member of it. It was a lot of fun and probably a once in a lifetime event. Hanging out with everyone is always a lot of fun, and yet again i was happy that our New Year's celebration was alcohol free. Not many people would be able to say that. It's not that i'm completely against drinking its just that i'm grateful that i have the friends that i have so that i feel free from the pressures to drink. What people do on their own time is free with me, but i'm grateful that i've never been put into that kind of position. And although it's been a blast hanging out with everyone i have to admit that i really miss Lincoln and my UNL friends. There a wonderful bunch of people and i've realized them like i miss my Loup City friends when i'm at college.
But i wonder when it is that we will all be back together again. Will things ever be the same?? I know that things will never be exactly the same, but its strange to think about all the things that change over time, and that we never know when some unexpected event could occur. I wish everyone the happiest and safest year ahead. And i hope that the paths that we continue to follow will be filled with happiness and prosperity. Who knows where the year ahead will take us. I just hope that our year will be filled with happiness and limited tears. I just hope that whatever hardships that are placed in our way can be used as methods of learning so we can achieve our greatest success.
And now that this is one of my classic blog posts that is too long it is now going to come to an end. I have no idea what will happen in the year ahead, but all i can say is one last thing, YAY London!!! {Yeah, that's right, i'm going to get to visit Steph at Reid Hall!!} And remember "Change is the unpredictability in life challenging you to catch up."