DETERMINISM

I believe that each human is endowed with free will but not complete free will. the environment and our nature and DNA greatly place limitations and possibilities on our actions. there is no free will, because if there were complete free will, that would mean that a human could fly in the air if he or her so chose to. on the other hand our DNA greatly affects our abilities. an example or this is Michael Phelps. Some say he was created with a perfect body for swimming. did he not win eight gold medals for swimming events at the Olympics? having the perfect swimming body helped him achieve that goal. there are also people who are disabled. they have a disability which impedes them from doing certain tasks that others may be able to do. the environment has some aspects in which we have no control yet it affects us.

parable

Parable: Generosity, Charity.

There once was a beggar who sat on a street corner of the very vast city of New York. As the business men and women walked by amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, the poor man would hold with his arms outstretched and his hands open, in hope that a kind soul may give him some change. Sometimes he would ask, “Can you spare any change?” or just hold out his hands.

Every day, he would notice that many of the same people would pass him by. One man in particular would not only ignore him but also scowl in his presence, and never give him coins or change. Every day this man would walk by, and every day the beggar would hold out his hand. Day after day men and women would walk by and the beggar would notice this one man.

One evening while the beggar was making his round of the block to see if he could find any spare change, he suddenly saw a brief case. He quickly ran to it and discovered it was full of money.

Later on, the beggar became able to support himself and was walking to work. Once when he was walking he noticed the man who would never give him money and look down at him because he was on the street begging. And the man thought he could spare a coin and gave the beggar a few coins.

Battle Royal

The title of Battle Royal is sarcastic, because there is nothing royal about it. if anything it is shameful.The title also reflects how even though it is shameful, its still a big deal. The story symbolises America and what the writer thinks of the people. The part where the men are fighting in the ring blindfolded, represents blind ignorance and people having not much coltrol or seeing over what they are fighting against. All this could be interpreted as dream signs since the main character wakes up after the dream is over. this could suggest that the character has all this buzzing around in his subconscience. it is also Royal because it may have seemed so while the dream lasted. this could mean that the author's feelings toward this are that its a big deal and should no be made one.

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings is a Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

"The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" is nothing but a very old man. Hes just and old man who seems even inconvenienced by his wings, like they get in his way. One could think hes an angel just because he is a man with wings. every angel i have heard of had helped people in some way or brought some kind of news. It seems like this man just is. He just tries to live with his wings. He his not an angel he is just a man with wings. This impacts the story because it means that people should not assume what a person is just because he looks like. A man is not an angel just because of his wings.

Cathedral: Irony Of Life

The short story "Cathedral" is ironic. When the blind man comes to visit it is obvious that there are things that since he can't literally see them, he understands in different ways. One of these things is the image of the cathedral thats being shown on the history channel. The blind man is as eager to understand the cathedral as he is about the process. In describing it, the main character remarks that the building that is the cathedral means nothing to him. He cannot really understand it's beauty. The Irony of the story is that the blind man understands just as much about the cathedral as the main character who can see, and they are helping each other understand.

A Quote

“In order to acquire a growing and lasting respect in society, it is a good thing, if you possess great talent, to give, early in your youth, a very hard kick to the right shin of the society that you love. After that, be a snob.”
-Salvador Dali

This I Believe

I BELIEVE IN HIKING.

I believe in hiking. I believe in enjoying nature with each and every step. When my mom taught me that I was very young. We would always walk around and enjoy nature. Even when we lived in the Upper West Side in New York City we would explore Central Park. It has always been a comforting thought that I can go on a hike and escape all that I leave behind with the traffic lights and advertisements. I can go beyond all that. I can go into my own thoughts. While hiking, I have nothing but my mind. At the beginning of the hike I may strain and struggle each step and then later forget even about walking.

Thoughts pass by like clouds or ideas floating along. They may linger or leave. But what ever they may be they are pure and calm. I hike because I want to refresh my body and mind. I don’t even have to try to appreciate nature. It just comes. And I don’t have to think. My mind wanders much like the trail I'm on at the time.

This makes me relaxed even talking about this! At any time I can remember how it feels to be in a hiking state of mind. Once when my mom and I were hiking on a trail that came off of the Appalachian Trail and I had gotten my second wind, which made such a difference that, it seemed like another day, and then it started sprinkling. This moment was just felt so good, and i will always remember it.

I don’t need music playing. I don’t need much. The backpack and the walking are not even issues. Even time vanishes. When I leave the trail, it is hard to tear myself away from the mindset I get. Even when I'm not hiking the feeling still lingers and gives me peace through out the day and how ever long I make it last. Sometimes all people need is a hike in nature.