Can we change our fate? (Kafka on the shore)

I don't really believe that we're all put on this earth with a purpose, because that would mean a large portion of the population has the only the duty to suffer. I don't want to live in a world in which that happens. 

Beyond that, believing in faith can be a very dangerous thing. To believe that God somehow is out there fixing things for us is a dangerous way to think. It takes away the liability and responsibility from people living their lives. An example of this is Christian science: the belief that God will cure all diseases through prayer, and that the use of modern medicine is immoral. 

This belief leaves sick people to die in hospitals around the country. Belief in fate is a dangerous thing. Once it is seen as a facade, it can ruin lives.

For this reason, I choose not to believe in fate. If it exists, fine. I won't know any different. 

A very brief open letter to parents.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m not a machine that can just be fixed. I’m not missing a certain part, and I don’t need a    system update.  I’m a product of the two of you, and if you just tried a little bit more, you’d realize that you don’t need some specialist to understand me, you just need to perk up your ears. You’re not Sherlock Holmes, you’re not gonna figure out what meds I need by connecting the words I say. Instead of analyzing everything that comes out of my mouth, just show me that you care.

Sincerely yours,

Steve Maloy

P.S I know you're doing your best.

Is poverty a choice?

 I hate this prompt. I think that it forces people to make conclusions about a group of people that vary in race, ability, personality and cultural history. I have no right to answer this question because I don't know what it's like to be poor. Who am I to conclude that it is or isn't a choice? A good portion of life is based on luck, and I'm lucky enough to have a full stomach and a warm bed, so excuse me for not wanting to analyze an entire class of people.

 

Sorry MR. McCarthy!(Malcom X)

I just realized I didn't post this blog entry. It was in my documents, but I never submitted it. MY BAD!




 This is my second time reading the book, and I've picked up a lot of little things this time around. Or, I should say, things that had no affect on me when I read it originally were influential this time around. The first thing being Malcolm's interest in boxing throughout the book. Before he became a hustler, Malcolm listened to the fights on the radio in the train car, and cheered for Joe Lewis. After his renaissance, he became a friend of Muhammad Ali. One of my favorite stories is Mr.X eating ice cream with Ali in his hotel room after a fight. This time, however, I found it strange that Malcolm enjoyed boxing. I suppose the idea of two men often of the same race hitting each other in the head to the point of concussion for the pleasure of white men doesn't seem to me like Malcolm's sport of choice.

Beyond that, I'm not sure how I feel whether or not Malcolm X has had an influence on America as a whole.

 I remember being incredibly depressed when I first started this book in eighth grade. Around this time, Barack Obama was starting his first term as President. I wondered if this was real progress, or just a stunt to please the liberal masses. I wondered what Malcolm X would think. I know he wouldn't be pleased with the drone strikes. Would Barack Obama just be a pawn in Malcolm's eyes?

 I go through this book more frustrated than ever. I feel like every racial philosophy is too much of a blanket to be logical. There are so many variables in America to have ultimatums like Malcolm X had. I feel as if a manifesto for race relations is nearly impossible, because progress here can be so slow. 

I once had a teacher describe racial equality as a mountain range. There are high points and low points, and things aren't always getting better. Maybe that's what Malcolm X and Alex Haley are trying to say. All I can do is be a good, loving person. I can't control others.

King...still king?

 Eventually, names fade away from our discussions on society. Yes, perhaps we will bring up quotes from the people of the past, but their impact on the world is less direct than it used to be. This is the case for Dr. King. Except for one day out of the year, nobody says "What would Dr.King do?" And although nobody has quite replaced him, there aren't very many people alive to remember his living either. 

 I believe it was last year when the promiscuity of Dr.King and his sexual escapades were covered by the news. It's funny, I never thought we would stoop so low as a society. There are times when the thirst for scandal in this country makes me sick to my stomach. Whether or not the man was faithful in his marriage is not important to the words he spoke, and only adds fuel to the fire that is racism in America.

 That being said, I think we are improving, and I think a great deal of that improvement is thanks to Dr. King. Although he may not cross our minds these days as much as he did in the 70's, the ripple effect of his actions can still be seen in this country.

 So to answer the question, no. King is no longer "king". However, that's the way history works. Nobody wears the title of "most talked about." forever. But each revolutionary is a cog in the big machine of our evolvement. He may not be the most important, but we couldn't have gotten here without him.

Rosa sat,

so Martin could walk, 

so Barack could run

and our children could fly.

Music Review: Real Estate-Days

I like finding new music. It's one of my favorite things to do. I found a lot of bands and musicians that I really like this year (see F*cked Up, Youth Lagoon, Girls, Atlas Sound and Ty Segall.) However none compare to my 2011 finding of "Real Estate." 

Also! I have a new blog. Check it out

Coming off their self-titled debut album, "Days" was nowhere near the sophomore slump I had anticipated. In fact, it's a piece of music I don't think I could live without. 
 Much like their original album, "Days" sounds as if The Beach Boys had evolved their style to accompany a less lyric-based version of the indie-surf genre. Songs like Kinder Bluman are best enjoyed on a warm summer's morning while basking in the sun, which is pretty unique coming from a band that originated in New Jersey.
 This is a summer album, but I will listen to it at any time. In fact, I can't go much more than a week without listening to "It's real" or "Wonder years." 
  I, like most people, use music to process my own emotions. However, only a few albums can help me time travel. When I listen to 808's and heartbreak, I travel back to the winter of 8th grade. When Arcade Fire's The Suburbs comes on, I think about the first girl I ever loved.  All of the great experiences I had this summer, all of the people I met, and all of the places I went will be forever connected to this album. I know that people won't have the same experience with "Days" that I had, but it makes me so happy to listen to, and I highly recommend it.

Alone

 I was going to write about the difficulties of being an only child, and living in a neighborhood far away from most of my friends. I was going to write how those experiences often leave me bitter, but my time alone will benefit me in the long run.

 But then that shooting in Connecticut happened, and I got to thinking. I am far, far from alone. I am close with my parents, I am close with the friends that I have, and I have never lost anyone to gun violence, despite the fact that statistics say I should have by now. I do not know loneliness, for I have not experienced irreplaceable loss. Those people will never be able to truly relate to anybody ever again. 

 I am not a parent who has to close off a room to my house. I am not an ex-brother or an ex-sister. I am not going to have to take away christmas presents from under the tree. Tonight, I will say goodnight to my parents and go to sleep safe and warm. And for that, I am extraordinarily lucky, and cannot classify myself as alone.