Pink Elephants

Throughout the life of a person there has always been a pink elephant in the room of their mind that has never been addressed. This is one’s insecurities. Everyone faces them and they hold people back in society. The expression of one's self is shackled to the ground when they let their insecurities rule them, but why? Where did this concept originate from? Who said the problems you have determine what others think of you? The rhetoric questions are not created just to make you think. It is to make you realize that this problem may be created from societies depictions of perfection.

The illustration of the perfect human makes you ponder about your own self; similarly, a real life barbie is not the perfect woman. Emily Prager states, “There are millions of women who are subliminally sure that a thirty-nine-inch bust and a twenty-three-inch waist are the epitome of lovability” (Our Barbies, Ourselves). Not only does this applies to all people as well. In the minds of men and women, societies representation of the perfect person has to be one way. This is not true. There is more to that of a person than their physical features. Physical features and appearance is what makes people stress from day to day. The way a person feels about him/her self impacts their lives. The negative aspects of this create insecurities. In today’s society, people who are successful usually hold themselves at larger heights, breaking down their insecurities. Many comedians poke fun at their own insecurities: Kevin Hart telling jokes about his height, Fluffy Iglesias joking about his weight, and Larry David joking about being Jewish. By making your insecurities a laughing matter they are kicked aside, thus having you feel better about yourself. Although it is not as easy as it may sound, insecurities are breakable. They are just a fly trying to get through your screen door.

Once upon a time there was a man named Lebron James. Lebron was a star athlete and everything in his world was going great… until his hairline started retreating. The dreadful, embarrassing, hide in your closet memes started to appear all around social media. Lebron could not hide from the shame as his insecurities piled on his chest like a landfill. Fast forward a few years of intense miracles, and a few championships. Here he stands, refurbished. The old Lebron was back on his feet. Jesus was astonished and so was social media. Now Lebron could go back to being the GOAT. The end.

Unlike Lebron, many people in the world do not have the money to make these miracles come true. Their height can not be changed, their genetics can not be modified, and there is only so much plastic surgery that can be done. The battle of insecurities for people is a common problem that can be pushed aside. It is not about what others think of you but what you think of yourself. In the end of the day, you control the outcome of how you feel and how you respond to life's challenges. So... send that pink elephant back to the zoo and overcome other problems that affect you.

The Making of Mankind

Humanity itself was constructed by society. What people think, do, and believe was all based off of ideas created by others around them. What position does a person need to hold to make themselves better than others? Should the logos of a person really give us a reason to use them as a model? Or is it the words that are communicated that makes society plead to new ideals or morals?

It is almost as if there is a key to unlock the minds of the human race. A key in which the United States has seized and is using to change our way of thinking. They open our mind and brainwash our thoughts. The stereotypes molded from television and the internet has altered our outlook on the world forever. At every corner it is Donald Trump pushing his way into politics, the Kardashians videotaping every moment of their lives, or the news broadcasting another  incident with ‘terrorists’. It is ironic by the way we view these people when we think of specific topics. What is our perception of a terrorist? Is it a brown male with a beard and a garment? For most people that is the first thing that comes to mind. Why do we not think of a white male who shoots up school as a terrorist?

This is because of the media's perception of these terms. It is because of the social constructs of society. We see each person through a different lens. The ways people look at things is different. “Education is not bad or good, it is how you look at it” (Valentino). A person can be doing something and it could be considered bad or good to another. Since the government has taken control of so many minds, the viewpoints of what is good and bad has changed for many Americans. The only way to win is if we get the key back. We must unlock our minds and see what is really being displayed in the world.

Behind The Bars

The bars that hold the world behind. The borders that restrict us from thinking outside the box. The panels that separate us from the rest. The Holocaust was a terrifying time for Jews, and words simply cannot describe the horrors it created. The ability to live freely was incinerated before their very eyes as Hitler gained power over the Jews, power gained through fear and hate. They were separated and pulled apart as though they were pieces of a puzzle that did not fit into the picture of humanity. The horrors of the Holocaust demonstrated hell on Earth, a horror words still cannot describe.

Books about the Holocaust explain the terrors it created, but they do not give an accurate representation of the actual tragedy. People cannot understand the horrors and  thus cannot paint the picture in their head. The words tell a story but the true horrors, the horrors that only the Jews understood, can never be truly captured by mere words. The holocaust was dreadful indeed but it would be literally impossible to understand the trauma those in concentration camps faced without physically being in their shoes.  America was in shock when it saw the Twin Towers fall to the ground but now it does the same to other countries. I am not saying the destruction of the Twin Towers was not a problem (WHICH IT WAS) but I am explaining that America's government is executing disgusting actions like these. These things would be unexplainable in the eyes of American citizens if it happened HERE. Since people can SEE how it is to have something so horrific happen why would they inflict the same pain on others? If a white man was treated like a slave they would stand up for any black man. If a German was treated like a Jew they would never want anything so terrible to happen to a specific race again. A real life moment a person faces gives them an idea of how something may be. When you see something with your own eyes it is easier to understand. So how would words be used to show an accurate representation of the Holocaust without using pictures to add to the story? They wouldn't. The difficulty to explain a picture of how the ashes of hundreds of people are lying on the ground in complete detail is nearly impossible.

Throughout the Novel, Maus by Art Spiegelman, the borders and panels of each picture in the comic symbolize entrapment. The entrapment of the Jews and how they were treated like animals. As time goes on the experiences worsen while the borders get thicker. Death is at every corner as the Jews pray for this nightmare to end. The pictures give a real life connection as if we (the readers) were there experiencing the Holocaust ourselves. The Jews were locked up, separated, and killed. They were trapped. They were victimized.  

On page 74 of Maus it shows the family eating but the picture is shown from the viewpoint looking through the window. Just as one would look through a jail cell. This clearly foreshadows the Jews’ impending entrapment. The angle used is as if a person were spying on the family just like as a camera would spy on a person in a jail cell.

When one tragedy ends another begins. When slavery ended the holocaust started. There have always been people that are hated for some indistinct reason. People have been caged for unfair accusations and to this day it still stands. How is it that a country that is “FREE” has the largest incarceration rate in the world? Not only are we being hypocritical as a country but the past is slowly coming around; history tends to repeat itself. The chains on slaves have changed to the bars that hold innocent people in cells. The aphorism “what goes around comes around” comes to life. Just as memories haunt people, history haunts the world. Pictures only help express these problems.

Filled with lies and deception America's government is slowly reverting back to its old ways. Just as the Jews were held in concentration camps, the FREE people of America are held in large prisons. The bars that hold people back are being built day in and day out.

As demonstrated, America spends obscene amounts of money to place their own people in jail cells. A person can understand how it feels to be behind bars since it is displayed in movies and pictures, since it is visually represented in their head. Some of the greatest people were held behind bars. Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Tupac Shakur to name a few. For what reason? It is almost as if the government is fed up seeing people live their lives. Just as Hitler was fed up seeing Jews walk on the streets. Not only is our society worsening and being held behind bars like the Jews but our leaders are not leading us the way they should. They are so concerned with the military and prisons they do not see what needs to be changed. The country is based on the people but it does not seem that way anymore. We are all confined in some way or another.

Society today is restricted not only physically but also mentally. Just like the Jews, and just like slaves. We are all held back. What we are told everyday is a cover up. The news depicts things the way they want it to be seen. The question is when will all the lies be exposed? When will we open our eyes? When will we as a society change its way of thinking? When will we break the bars that hold us back and truly be free?

The Only Guarantee In This World Is Death

As life continues throughout its normal pattern, humans experience situations that affect their attitude and mood.  A person’s willingness to push forward may break down more and more until they can not handle the life they live.  This, in many cases, is because of the dreadful illness that can cause physical limitations called depression. Depression is a mental illness that affects how you feel, act, and think in an extremely negative and self-harming way. 

The matter is depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the world and it can come to anyone unexpectedly. People who may have the perfect life can suffer from depression. Every person has their own battle and it come with a fight they must be willing to take. As David Foster Wallace explains how people have their own way of thinking in his speech, “It is our default-setting, hard-wired into our boards at birth” (This Is Water). David describes how people have a type of self-centeredness that makes things that only matter to them important. Many people around the world are becoming familiar with the troubles of depression. The reason is because the people around them may be suffering because of it. It takes a different mentality of thinking and an open-mindedness  to truly feel for others.

I myself have never understood the severity of depression and the outcomes that come along with it until I began to become more familiar with the illness. I have friends that suffer from depression and that are fighting  it every day.  This year a fellow student at Troy High had passed away after fighting depression. It takes a strong person to overcome these daily setbacks of depression and many people cannot handle it. David Foster Wallace had committed suicide after dealing with depression on September 12th, 2008. He is one of the many who had dealt with depression. Other celebrities that have suffered are J.K. Rowling, Terry Bradshaw, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Abraham Lincoln, Angelina Jolie, Demi Lovato, Anne Hathaway, Sir Isaac Newton, Mark Twain, Halle Berry, Rosie O’Donnell, Kurt Cobain, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Kid Cudi. These people endured the same pain as others that was caused by depression.

KID CUDI

Although depression is very serious, it is taken as a joke. Many individuals poke fun at the idea of people not being strong enough to handle this illness. I myself had been a part of this until I realized how hard it would be to have this problem. Often people forget that it is an illness and they often think others are acting this way for attention.  It is until someone commits suicide that catches the attention a person’s eyes start to open. It is until a loved one is seriously hurt because of this illness. It is until you are the person who suddenly feels a different way because of depression. The joke is not as funny as it seems to be. Death is a deep, dangerous road many have been following. Imagining waking up every day thinking taking your life would be better than living the one you have right now.

Jermaine's Interlude
The famous rapper J. Cole said” Oh, I had so many days of crying. Oh, I had so many days of pain. Have you ever been as sad as I am? Lord, I ask if anything would change? I can see the future that we’re heading. I would say it’s better not to tell. If it’s anything like this in Heaven. Maybe I’d be better off in hell” (Jermaine’s Interlude).

Imagine being a successful rapper and explaining to your fans that you have depression. Some people may show support because there is a larger fan base but place yourself in a “regular” person’s shoes and tie the laces tight. Try standing in front of so-called “friends” who are just a piece of the broken glass in your life and mumbling out the words that barely fall from your tongue explaining how you feel every day. How hard it is to wake up from bed?  How you can only trust them with this and then they turn their back and make fun of you?  With all the love, you have for them and how they took all your warmth during the cold days. How they threw you to the side to rot away and walk off like nothing happen. Then you may understand a part of how it feels. The knife was rigid and every cut to the heart made you feel as if it was easier to end your life instead of bearing with the pain. That is how it must feel for a person who has depression.

You never realize how serious something is until you open your eyes and open your mind. This is exactly what David Foster Wallace expressed in his piece. An open mind is a virtue many people should have. Depression is not easy to understand. Having a life is a beautiful thing but overcoming all the complications it brings is another challenge that comes along. Suicide is just one horror of depression and death if often the way people flee from the pain. The joke is not a laughing matter and death is nothing to mock fun at because it is the only thing that is guaranteed for every person in this world.

Life

Life. Existence. Presence. It is what each person receives and what each person lets go. However, what is the true meaning of life? What are you (as a person) even here for? For me, life is not about going to school each day, taking notes, and learning things that will never benefit me. It is not about sitting and doing what others tell you. It is not about working the 9-5. This is how many people live their life, but again what is life?  In my opinion, life is a blessing. It is given to you and it is your job to use it the way you want. If you are not doing what you want, then why are you wasting your time?  How are you going to live your life?

Interpretation of life is different for each person. The perspective each person has on life is different. What each person wants is different. Their views are different. Although views may be alike, they are unique to you (as a person). The ways people live their lives are based on what they think is best and what they want. How are you going to live your life?

1.  Pleasure: Do what makes you happy in the moment instead of pushing for the future, which is unknown. 
2. Morals:  Do what you think is best. Follow your ideals of right and wrong. Live your life by your own morals and standards.
3. Survival: Do what you need to do to survive. Life is not easy so you need to be strong. Stand your ground and do what you need to do to last.
4. Peace: Do what you need to do to make your life peaceful. Build tranquility and understand the world and how it works. Doing this will only make your experience more joyful.
5.  Time: Do what you want. Time is money so do not waste it. You only have one life to live so live it to the best of your ability.

These are not the only ways people can guide themselves on how to live.  As David Muso roughly said, “I’m gonna die anyways so I’m chillin. That’s why I don’t always care if I get a bad grade”. In my opinion, life is all about what you think and what you want. If you want a car there are multiple ways of getting it, you just need to find the way that suits you. Voice your opinion, do what you wish, but there are always consequences for your actions. “The world is shaped by two things- stories told and memories they leave behind” (Vera Nazarian). Lessons learned mold you for the future but they are always important to look back upon. Every person has something in their life that made them who they are right now. Never give up on what you believe. Determination along with hard work are keys in life that will take you where you strive to go. Not living the way you prefer can turn to be a waste. 

There will always be someone who has more, or who is better, you just need to appreciate what you have. As J. Cole expresses in his song Love Yourz, 

"Always gon' be a bigger house somewhere, but feel me

Long as the people in that love you dearly

Always gon' be a whip that's better than the one you got

Always gon' be some clothes that's fresher than the ones you rock

Always gon' be a that's badder out there on the tours

But you ain't never gon' be happy till you love yours "

Life is not going to be the same for each person because of the situations and experiences they have dealt with. It is their thinking and wishes that get them to where they are. A person may work harder to achieve what he/she desires. They might work harder than you but in life that is the way it is. Love what you have. Your life is special to you so be appreciative to what you have.

Tupac Shakur said, “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive. Never surrender”.  What dies inside are your dreams. Never give up and you will be content with the outcome. Are you going to follow your own morals? Are you going to live your life to the fullest? Again, life is different for each person and it has much friction that comes along with it. It is a journey that you must be willing to take. A blessing that you must be grateful for. An experience that only comes once. So I ask again, how are YOU going to live YOUR life?