Last night I saw a really incredible movie - it was so powerful, that I immediately felt compelled to write about it (is that an indication that the movie was really good, or that ive turned into a loser blogger? And im only on my 3rd post!). "Waiting for 'Superman'" is a movie about the public school system in America. In truth, I hadn't heard of the movie until about 1:30pm, and I made it to a 5:30 showing. Optimum Triple Play is a magical combination that allows its subscribers a rewards card that includes 2 free movie tickets on Tuesdays at clearview cinemas. I like to take advantage of this opportunity - Im movie-ternistic - as often as possible. I had dinner plans with some friends in the city last night, and I had a few hours to kill in between work and our meeting. I quickly searched for local Clearview Cinemas and checked out the timetables to see what movie was starting at the most convenient time. It is through that sequence of events that lead me to the gem that is 'Superman'.
Quick sidenote - As I arrived at the box office outside of the theater, while reaching into my bag to take out my rewards card, I heard from behind, "Gavi?" Coincidentally, my friend Mike had just showed up at the theater (in Chelsea) from uptown at the very same time, going to see the same movie, also on his own. He put it beautifully by saying "we couldn't have even planned this better." He was a gentleman and treated me to the movie on his card.
Anyway, learning about the public school system here in the States was an eye opening experience, especially for someone who had only been privately schooled. My previous exposure to public schools was quite limited. I live around the corner from the local public high school in my town, but other then running at their track or walking across the grounds to get to the highway, I never really learned about the inner workings. (I was verbally harassed on 2 separate occasions on the school property - once in 6th grade and another time my sophomore year of high school... but really all that did for me was make the day I graduated high school a really exciting time because i KNEW each time I walked by the students from then on, that I was older, or at least in a further along grade then each and every one of them - that was my coping mechanism to feel confident). This film is documentary style, following the journey of about 5 students spread throughout the states over the course of a year. Each of them is in a position where they are trying to get into a public charter school to get a better education and improve their chances at a more successful future. The children in the film range in age from about 5 to 12, and all except one come from minority families.
A really interesting questions was posed by the narrator/creator - Do bad communities lead to bad public schools, or do bad public schools lead to bad communities? Education is such an important tool that when used correctly can be extremely powerful, yet when abused can be really detrimental. We learned that tenure in public schools is a really big problem. Apparently, any teacher who keeps their job for 2 or more years automatically gets tenure. That means that once a teacher manages not to get fired for 2 years (or as they say in the movie, "If a teacher continues to breathe for 2 years...") they are awarded the grand immunity from ever being fired. It reported that some tenured teachers even said to their classes that they refuse to teach because they get paid either way, so whats the point? Really horrific.
Having watched the movie, I was forced to do a little introspection, and take a step back to appreciate the experiences and opportunities that ive been given. Its sad, when i think back about it, that I (and im sure others) didn't appreciate my schooling as I was going through it. In truth, I don't think I was mature enough to see just how privileged I was. 2 years ago, when I was visiting the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, I met this young local fellow who was sitting and studying on one of buildings' stones. It was rare to find someone who spoke English and wasn't trying to sell me anything. Through our little chat I learned that he was working really hard to teach himself English. His family were rice farmers, and they didn't have very much money at all. He was able to find an English tutor who would give him lessons for 10 dollars a month, and yet most of the time he couldn't afford it. He was doing everything he could to both raise the money and study on his own - his dedication was amazing. But it also got me to think back about all those times I wanted to skip class 'cuz I was bored, or felt like school was getting in the way of the other "important" things I wanted to be doing with my time. Each time I missed a day of school or even a class, I was wasting tuition money, and yet this boy didn't have the amount of money to pay for a month of classes that was equivalent to what most of my classmates would spend daily on just lunch. Obviously Cambodia and America are in very different economic positions, but it was an interesting comparison, in my mind.
Because we got to learn about the lives of these highlighted students, we grew to feel sympathetic towards them. The interesting part for me, though, was that when things didn't work out for some of the students, we felt sad for them, and wished that maybe they could have received the spot instead of someone else. However, had the movie documented the story of one of the students that did get in, we would have felt really excited for them, not at all thinking about the students that didn't get in. We were taken in the direction that the movie makers wanted us to go.
Im known to feel emotional about tv/movies sometimes (I've cried during wheel of fortune more than once when the final contestant has one really big - tears of joy, but tears nonetheless), but this one was something special. I didn't cry per say (im sure my eyes lubricated themselves a few times, though) but I felt enlightened and educated afterwards. I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to everyone. If you watch it, I would be really interested to know your thoughts afterwards.
And on that note, I leave you with the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTfaro96dg
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Couch?.... I don't think so
Arrived (and passed) has the time for my cohorts to get up and move out of their parents houses. Simon and Garfunkle wrote a song called "The Only Living Boy in New York." Similarly, I am the only girl still living (in her parent's home) in New Jersey. Its a sad truth when at the end of the day (literally when the day has come to an end - not like the saying meaning "in the end") your best friends are your parents and your 17 year old brother with whom you share a home. Don't get me wrong - I actually get along really well with my family (including my sister who lives abroad - Hi Oriyah!) - most of the time - and im happy to have them as friends - close friends - and furthermore im super appreciative that im allowed to live at home (despite the fact that my appreciation is questioned on the home front - this time literally). But, a 24 year old girl needs to have a broader team of support. And this isn't just true for me - its true for most people - male and female - in my general age range (least in America). Many people from my social circles marry at this age, and unless you have a completely separate section attached to your parents house (I do know people like this, and it seems to work for them quite nicely), living at home isn't really a viable option - from either side. Other than the marrieds, tho, the singles too are leaving the nest and flying out on their own (even if it is supported by momma and poppa bird).
Just to clarify my position, I am SO for the whole moving out of the house deal, just barely making ends meet, and being independent. I dig that - hard. And not only do i support everyone who is doing it, im also a little jealous. My current bank account funds are hitting pretty low due to my months of travel, and seeing as Ive only been employed for a few weeks, I hardly have the means to be paying rent and the other expenses that come with that.... So yes - Im mooching off my parents - THANKS MOM AND DAD!! The reason im more ok with this (my excuse, if you will) is that im hoping to move out of the country - Ive given myself until 2013 the absolute latest to save up what I can and move to Israel (where God knows itll be harder to save my money, assuming I can even make any... heres to hoping and praying and a touch of hard work!) I channel Rachel Green from friends right now, circa season one when she is waitressing at Central Perk and gets her first paycheck which leads her to ask "Who is FICA and why is he taking all my money?!?!" - JenAn - I feel the very same way. My assumed salary is only giving 60% to my pocket and the rest im pretty sure ill never see again in my lifetime. The idea that social security will be paid out to me when im older is a funny little joke which makes me cry instead of laugh. But i stray from my thought process (get used to that - im sure itll happen a lot) - the point is that im trying to save as much money as I can right now, and that means living at home with the Lewy-Neuman clan.
But again, I am the lone chicken left in the coop here in New Jersey for the extended future months to come. Just recently, basically my last couple of local friends have taken the plunge and moved into big old scary NYC. Dope pad, by the way, but it doesn't make me feel better that im left to hold down the youthful fort in the neighborhood. Theres no real reason for sharing the following, other than the fact that in hindsight it was a funny experience and I would like to write about it. So it revolves around a couch. Being one who doesn't shell out a lot of money for things (are you getting the cheap vibe from me? Please Don't - maybe I used to be, but now Ive gotten better at spending money while maintaining my money-conscious attitude) I am all for getting free furniture and hand me downs of just about anything. And when you are starting your life in "The Real World", every little bit of help is just that - helpful. So when a friend of mine was moving out and needed to furnish their apartment, I agreed to helping them schlepp a couch from their house to their brand spanking new abode. Other then the fact that im laden with super-human strength and physical capabilities, My dad also has a big white commercial-style van (completely empty back) that is perfect for moving stuff (= couches!). So the couches of today are made to be aesthetically pleasing as well as comfortable and easy to maneuver. Such is not the case with the couches of yesteryear. Old-school couches, like the one in this story, might be sturdy as an Ox but are often made of wood, and are madly heavy. Additionally, this piece had a fold out queen size bed - perfect for the sleepovers I was bound to have on it - not so perfect when it added about 100 pounds (im terrible at guessing weight - it could have been as little at 20 pounds or as much as 220 pounds) to an already heavy couch. Anyway, not wanting to believe that I wasn't physically able in addition to sheer determination, I went ahead with the plan of transporting this monster of a piece of furniture.
So we get to the city and find an illegal parking spot right at the corner. Knowing that the 2 of us wouldn't be able to bring the couch up on our own (oh, did I mention the apt was on the second floor -not counting ground floor - and no elevator) my friends roommate inquired at a pub next door to their place if there was a worker they could pay to help us. It happened to be a busy time when we got there and the man wasn't allowed to leave to help us. We tried to ask some other people who worked on that street if we could pay them to help, and each guy that came over attempted to lift a side of the couch to see how heavy it was, and immediately dismissed us while laughing at our misfortune. Finally the roommate came himself to assist in the dragging. The 3 of us each grabbed a side and hauled, leaving the veins from our necks at the original site of lift. Literally just getting it to the front door of the building used up most of my energy, and it was maybe 34-40 feet from where the van was. I knew that this was going to be a difficult attempted adventure. Somehow we managed to slide the couch through the narrow door, almost taking off someones arm with it, and we were able push it down the hallway until we reached carpet at the foot of the stairs. The next plan was to conceptualize how on earth we were going to get the whale up the stairs. Aside from actually lifting the couch off the ground, we also had to figure out which way to flip it so that we could get it around the bends of the staircase. (here is where I channel Ross Geller of friends - circa season 5? - trying to get his new couch up the stairs of the building yelling out instructions; "Pi-Vot! Pi-Vooootttt!!!") We somehow convinced ourselves to put the thing on its side - vertically, so that it was almost touching the ceiling. It must have been about 15 minutes of leaning it in different directions trying to see how we could lift it a little bit more easily, actually getting it to fit in the alloted space. I dont think it was until we almost broke the handrail, adversarially made of wood, and painted in green (at least when we got there it was) that we started thinking of possibly paying a moving company to hike it up the stairs before realizing defeat and knowing it was a lost cause. It was a little sad for a minute or 2 knowing that our efforts didn't result in our desired outcome (well thats not true - i woke up that morning thinking how much I would love not to be able to feel my arms by the end of the day - thankfully i was able to check that off my list). The funny part about it was actually re-loading the couch back into my white van and driving it back home.
Now, that may have sounded like a depressing story but if that is the message you got from it, please take off your current clouded spectacles and put on your rose colored glasses! We were a group of friends, working together towards a common goal and putting in some good old fashion elbow-greased hard work. We also may have lived our lives in regret if we never would have tried - i can confidently say today that i have no regrets about not having tried that day - i tried and im proud of it! Of US!!! We weren't successful at getting the couch upstairs but as any teacher would have awarded us, we earned an A for effort. Lesson: Always TRY! Additionally, if you are going to take free furniture from your house, try and make sure that you can actually move it and get it to your new place. Trumping that, though, is the message to always take free furniture.
So in regard to my sign off, ive decided that i will end each blog posting with a link or picture preceded by "On that note, I leave you with the following:" From there i will try and attach something that has to do with something ive said, but theres also a likelihood that it'll just be a music video or viral video that I enjoy.
So, on that note, I leave you with the following:
Courtesy of Colin Jacobs:
Just to clarify my position, I am SO for the whole moving out of the house deal, just barely making ends meet, and being independent. I dig that - hard. And not only do i support everyone who is doing it, im also a little jealous. My current bank account funds are hitting pretty low due to my months of travel, and seeing as Ive only been employed for a few weeks, I hardly have the means to be paying rent and the other expenses that come with that.... So yes - Im mooching off my parents - THANKS MOM AND DAD!! The reason im more ok with this (my excuse, if you will) is that im hoping to move out of the country - Ive given myself until 2013 the absolute latest to save up what I can and move to Israel (where God knows itll be harder to save my money, assuming I can even make any... heres to hoping and praying and a touch of hard work!) I channel Rachel Green from friends right now, circa season one when she is waitressing at Central Perk and gets her first paycheck which leads her to ask "Who is FICA and why is he taking all my money?!?!" - JenAn - I feel the very same way. My assumed salary is only giving 60% to my pocket and the rest im pretty sure ill never see again in my lifetime. The idea that social security will be paid out to me when im older is a funny little joke which makes me cry instead of laugh. But i stray from my thought process (get used to that - im sure itll happen a lot) - the point is that im trying to save as much money as I can right now, and that means living at home with the Lewy-Neuman clan.
But again, I am the lone chicken left in the coop here in New Jersey for the extended future months to come. Just recently, basically my last couple of local friends have taken the plunge and moved into big old scary NYC. Dope pad, by the way, but it doesn't make me feel better that im left to hold down the youthful fort in the neighborhood. Theres no real reason for sharing the following, other than the fact that in hindsight it was a funny experience and I would like to write about it. So it revolves around a couch. Being one who doesn't shell out a lot of money for things (are you getting the cheap vibe from me? Please Don't - maybe I used to be, but now Ive gotten better at spending money while maintaining my money-conscious attitude) I am all for getting free furniture and hand me downs of just about anything. And when you are starting your life in "The Real World", every little bit of help is just that - helpful. So when a friend of mine was moving out and needed to furnish their apartment, I agreed to helping them schlepp a couch from their house to their brand spanking new abode. Other then the fact that im laden with super-human strength and physical capabilities, My dad also has a big white commercial-style van (completely empty back) that is perfect for moving stuff (= couches!). So the couches of today are made to be aesthetically pleasing as well as comfortable and easy to maneuver. Such is not the case with the couches of yesteryear. Old-school couches, like the one in this story, might be sturdy as an Ox but are often made of wood, and are madly heavy. Additionally, this piece had a fold out queen size bed - perfect for the sleepovers I was bound to have on it - not so perfect when it added about 100 pounds (im terrible at guessing weight - it could have been as little at 20 pounds or as much as 220 pounds) to an already heavy couch. Anyway, not wanting to believe that I wasn't physically able in addition to sheer determination, I went ahead with the plan of transporting this monster of a piece of furniture.
So we get to the city and find an illegal parking spot right at the corner. Knowing that the 2 of us wouldn't be able to bring the couch up on our own (oh, did I mention the apt was on the second floor -not counting ground floor - and no elevator) my friends roommate inquired at a pub next door to their place if there was a worker they could pay to help us. It happened to be a busy time when we got there and the man wasn't allowed to leave to help us. We tried to ask some other people who worked on that street if we could pay them to help, and each guy that came over attempted to lift a side of the couch to see how heavy it was, and immediately dismissed us while laughing at our misfortune. Finally the roommate came himself to assist in the dragging. The 3 of us each grabbed a side and hauled, leaving the veins from our necks at the original site of lift. Literally just getting it to the front door of the building used up most of my energy, and it was maybe 34-40 feet from where the van was. I knew that this was going to be a difficult attempted adventure. Somehow we managed to slide the couch through the narrow door, almost taking off someones arm with it, and we were able push it down the hallway until we reached carpet at the foot of the stairs. The next plan was to conceptualize how on earth we were going to get the whale up the stairs. Aside from actually lifting the couch off the ground, we also had to figure out which way to flip it so that we could get it around the bends of the staircase. (here is where I channel Ross Geller of friends - circa season 5? - trying to get his new couch up the stairs of the building yelling out instructions; "Pi-Vot! Pi-Vooootttt!!!") We somehow convinced ourselves to put the thing on its side - vertically, so that it was almost touching the ceiling. It must have been about 15 minutes of leaning it in different directions trying to see how we could lift it a little bit more easily, actually getting it to fit in the alloted space. I dont think it was until we almost broke the handrail, adversarially made of wood, and painted in green (at least when we got there it was) that we started thinking of possibly paying a moving company to hike it up the stairs before realizing defeat and knowing it was a lost cause. It was a little sad for a minute or 2 knowing that our efforts didn't result in our desired outcome (well thats not true - i woke up that morning thinking how much I would love not to be able to feel my arms by the end of the day - thankfully i was able to check that off my list). The funny part about it was actually re-loading the couch back into my white van and driving it back home.
Now, that may have sounded like a depressing story but if that is the message you got from it, please take off your current clouded spectacles and put on your rose colored glasses! We were a group of friends, working together towards a common goal and putting in some good old fashion elbow-greased hard work. We also may have lived our lives in regret if we never would have tried - i can confidently say today that i have no regrets about not having tried that day - i tried and im proud of it! Of US!!! We weren't successful at getting the couch upstairs but as any teacher would have awarded us, we earned an A for effort. Lesson: Always TRY! Additionally, if you are going to take free furniture from your house, try and make sure that you can actually move it and get it to your new place. Trumping that, though, is the message to always take free furniture.
So in regard to my sign off, ive decided that i will end each blog posting with a link or picture preceded by "On that note, I leave you with the following:" From there i will try and attach something that has to do with something ive said, but theres also a likelihood that it'll just be a music video or viral video that I enjoy.
So, on that note, I leave you with the following:
Courtesy of Colin Jacobs:
Sunday, October 24, 2010
My New Blog!
And........... LAUNCH!
I've been wanting to start a blog for a really long time now, and its finally past the age of excuses for me. So here it is! I know every Joe Shmo starts their own blogs nowadays (case in point: this blog - Hi, I'm Joe Shmo) but the beauty about that is that those other people who have spent hours at their computer writing things that basically everyone else couldn't care about, has paved the way for me to do it, and for that to be OK. Thank you people with unimportant thoughts!
I remember the first time that I ever heard of a "blog." It must have been at least 7 years ago - I was at a friends house for the weekend, and her father started attempting to explain this new phenomenon of blogging - people, in essence, were creating their own website where they wrote about what they were thinking. While this concept of a blog is in every modern day 3rd graders kin, at the time, it was a really confusing idea to wrap my head around. Average people, along with self-proclaimed-above-average people were just setting up websites and anyone could look at it...? Weird. And who would care? But fast forward a couple years (which in technology years, not unlike dog years, is really like 7 times the amount of time) and here I am, sitting in my living room, doing just that - writing my thoughts on the computer, on my own "website" (thank you 'blogspot') and expecting that maybe someone would care to look at it.
There were a number of influences that got me to thinking that I could start this thing. Firstly, after having graduated college, I took about 9 months off to backpack "around the world," and while I was away, i maintained the facebook equivalent of a blog - I set up a group for those who were interested in reading about my adventures (it was appropriately named "Gavi's Around the World Adventures!") and every couple of days or weeks (depending on how on top of things I was), i would blast out a mass e mail detailing the previous couple of days' experiences, thoughts and stories. Aside from sharing with others, it got me into the good habit of documenting my trip, and it gave me some structure to review my experiences and cherish those moments. I enjoyed doing that, and wanted to continue in some way. Additionally, a few months ago, I didn't have a job and I was trying to think of productive ways that I could fill my time and would possibly help lead to my getting a job. I was(/am) interested in working in copy-writing, editing, or something creative that has to do with words, and I figured that keeping a blog could be a good writing sample to provide to future employers that would give them a good taste of my writing style and creative ability (or lack there of - I happen to agree with the former). Im pleased to say that since having had that reoccurring thought, I have landed myself a job and I am now a working woman at a not-for-profit in midtown Manhattan and I'm ecstatic to be employed!
So why "The Real World?" ? For this particular phrase, I have to thank my friend Shira W. of NJ who lives her life according to quite strict guidelines. She is a big believer in doing things the way they are "meant" to be done, the way things are supposed to be in "the real world." Anytime I would say something to her that didn't specifically fit into what she thought were proper guidelines, she would tell me that that wouldn't fly in the real world. For example, Shira and I roomed together in college. While she was good at keeping herself on a schedule and doing things in a timely fashion, I functioned more along the lines of handing in my essays that were due at 12am maybe a minute or 2 before hand - without proofreading. My habits of staying up late to watch tv or movies would lead me to be tired during the day. Anytime I wanted to lie down for a nap she would always remind me that "In the real world, you can't take naps during the day. When you're working at a real job and you get tired, are you going to lie down for a nap in your office? Of course not!" While I believed this to be true, I was also really aware that college wasn't "the real world," and I wanted to take full advantage of that while I could. However, Shira isn't alone in that attitude. While I was away traveling, I would often be confronted with the question "So what are you goign to do when you return to the real world?" Once I came back, i got a lot of "How does it feel to be back in the real world" and "Welcome back to the real world - i hope you enjoyed your freedom while it lasted..." All wonderful thoughts and encouraging words of wisdom - but they all left me with the same question - What is "The Real World?"
My so far short stint back from "the fake world" (I can only imagine that would be an appropriate name for the real world's counterpart...) has lead me to believe that for each person, the real world is different. My current reality is getting up each morning, Monday through Friday at 7am, commuting for an hour to work, being there until 5:30pm, commuting for 45 minutes back (less traffic i guess) and making sure to go to bed by 11:30pm in order to get up the next morning and do it all over again. But is that the story for everyone? I don't think so. The other day on my walk to work from the Port Authority, I saw an elderly Asian man surreptitiously walk into one of the many Adult DVD/Peep Show stores on 8th avenue. It couldn't have been past 8:45am. All judgment aside (well, most judgment - I couldn't help but chuckle out loud when I saw this - but in all honesty, it is New York, and anything goes) if that's that mans "thing," then good on him! And that's HIS real world! Some people need a cup of coffee in the morning to start their day - this guy needed a good dose of smut and inappropriate nudity to get the ball rolling. While I was abroad, i met this one girl in Australia who got up every morning at around 3:30am - She worked with horses. Her job was to prepare and exercise the horses for being ridden later in the day by horse-racers. And I bet you that she took a nap most days of the week. Another real world. So the point is that everybody has a different story. We all function in out own ways and create our own realities. I believe that we all choose our choices and if we needed a part of our world to be different from the norm's definition of "the real world," we would (and SHOULD!) find a way to make that happen.
So Im certainly no preacher telling others how to live their lives or what choices to make, but I would like to be able to defend my own choices and lifestyle. And I hope for this web-log (I'm almost embarrassed to admit that it couldn't have been more than 2 years ago that I even learned that that's what blog was short for) to be my verbal playground, to be a place where I can share my point of view and give others a peak at what my real world is like. I hope to make it interesting (for both your and my sake)!
(I should really come up with my "goodbye" signature... I know Tyra Banks ends each of her "Tyra Show"'s with "Peace and Love", and i kinda think that's silly - but again, that opens the door for me to have one as well.....I'm such a piggy-backer! I'll give myself homework that by the time next post comes around, Ill have my own little silly way of saying "see ya!")
I've been wanting to start a blog for a really long time now, and its finally past the age of excuses for me. So here it is! I know every Joe Shmo starts their own blogs nowadays (case in point: this blog - Hi, I'm Joe Shmo) but the beauty about that is that those other people who have spent hours at their computer writing things that basically everyone else couldn't care about, has paved the way for me to do it, and for that to be OK. Thank you people with unimportant thoughts!
I remember the first time that I ever heard of a "blog." It must have been at least 7 years ago - I was at a friends house for the weekend, and her father started attempting to explain this new phenomenon of blogging - people, in essence, were creating their own website where they wrote about what they were thinking. While this concept of a blog is in every modern day 3rd graders kin, at the time, it was a really confusing idea to wrap my head around. Average people, along with self-proclaimed-above-average people were just setting up websites and anyone could look at it...? Weird. And who would care? But fast forward a couple years (which in technology years, not unlike dog years, is really like 7 times the amount of time) and here I am, sitting in my living room, doing just that - writing my thoughts on the computer, on my own "website" (thank you 'blogspot') and expecting that maybe someone would care to look at it.
There were a number of influences that got me to thinking that I could start this thing. Firstly, after having graduated college, I took about 9 months off to backpack "around the world," and while I was away, i maintained the facebook equivalent of a blog - I set up a group for those who were interested in reading about my adventures (it was appropriately named "Gavi's Around the World Adventures!") and every couple of days or weeks (depending on how on top of things I was), i would blast out a mass e mail detailing the previous couple of days' experiences, thoughts and stories. Aside from sharing with others, it got me into the good habit of documenting my trip, and it gave me some structure to review my experiences and cherish those moments. I enjoyed doing that, and wanted to continue in some way. Additionally, a few months ago, I didn't have a job and I was trying to think of productive ways that I could fill my time and would possibly help lead to my getting a job. I was(/am) interested in working in copy-writing, editing, or something creative that has to do with words, and I figured that keeping a blog could be a good writing sample to provide to future employers that would give them a good taste of my writing style and creative ability (or lack there of - I happen to agree with the former). Im pleased to say that since having had that reoccurring thought, I have landed myself a job and I am now a working woman at a not-for-profit in midtown Manhattan and I'm ecstatic to be employed!
So why "The Real World?" ? For this particular phrase, I have to thank my friend Shira W. of NJ who lives her life according to quite strict guidelines. She is a big believer in doing things the way they are "meant" to be done, the way things are supposed to be in "the real world." Anytime I would say something to her that didn't specifically fit into what she thought were proper guidelines, she would tell me that that wouldn't fly in the real world. For example, Shira and I roomed together in college. While she was good at keeping herself on a schedule and doing things in a timely fashion, I functioned more along the lines of handing in my essays that were due at 12am maybe a minute or 2 before hand - without proofreading. My habits of staying up late to watch tv or movies would lead me to be tired during the day. Anytime I wanted to lie down for a nap she would always remind me that "In the real world, you can't take naps during the day. When you're working at a real job and you get tired, are you going to lie down for a nap in your office? Of course not!" While I believed this to be true, I was also really aware that college wasn't "the real world," and I wanted to take full advantage of that while I could. However, Shira isn't alone in that attitude. While I was away traveling, I would often be confronted with the question "So what are you goign to do when you return to the real world?" Once I came back, i got a lot of "How does it feel to be back in the real world" and "Welcome back to the real world - i hope you enjoyed your freedom while it lasted..." All wonderful thoughts and encouraging words of wisdom - but they all left me with the same question - What is "The Real World?"
My so far short stint back from "the fake world" (I can only imagine that would be an appropriate name for the real world's counterpart...) has lead me to believe that for each person, the real world is different. My current reality is getting up each morning, Monday through Friday at 7am, commuting for an hour to work, being there until 5:30pm, commuting for 45 minutes back (less traffic i guess) and making sure to go to bed by 11:30pm in order to get up the next morning and do it all over again. But is that the story for everyone? I don't think so. The other day on my walk to work from the Port Authority, I saw an elderly Asian man surreptitiously walk into one of the many Adult DVD/Peep Show stores on 8th avenue. It couldn't have been past 8:45am. All judgment aside (well, most judgment - I couldn't help but chuckle out loud when I saw this - but in all honesty, it is New York, and anything goes) if that's that mans "thing," then good on him! And that's HIS real world! Some people need a cup of coffee in the morning to start their day - this guy needed a good dose of smut and inappropriate nudity to get the ball rolling. While I was abroad, i met this one girl in Australia who got up every morning at around 3:30am - She worked with horses. Her job was to prepare and exercise the horses for being ridden later in the day by horse-racers. And I bet you that she took a nap most days of the week. Another real world. So the point is that everybody has a different story. We all function in out own ways and create our own realities. I believe that we all choose our choices and if we needed a part of our world to be different from the norm's definition of "the real world," we would (and SHOULD!) find a way to make that happen.
So Im certainly no preacher telling others how to live their lives or what choices to make, but I would like to be able to defend my own choices and lifestyle. And I hope for this web-log (I'm almost embarrassed to admit that it couldn't have been more than 2 years ago that I even learned that that's what blog was short for) to be my verbal playground, to be a place where I can share my point of view and give others a peak at what my real world is like. I hope to make it interesting (for both your and my sake)!
(I should really come up with my "goodbye" signature... I know Tyra Banks ends each of her "Tyra Show"'s with "Peace and Love", and i kinda think that's silly - but again, that opens the door for me to have one as well.....I'm such a piggy-backer! I'll give myself homework that by the time next post comes around, Ill have my own little silly way of saying "see ya!")
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