Heroification

Many history books (if not all) leave out some of the facts when telling a story. I'm sure there are some that leave out things just because they believe that it is peripheral and unimportant, but what makes a certain fact unimportant? James Lowen's book Lies My Teacher Told Me argues that historical figures are often portrayed as overly heroic, and then become uninteresting.

I agree with Lowen that important facts are left out, and people are portrayed as someone, or something, they aren't.  There really isn't any reason to leave facts like that our of a history book.  If it were a short story giving a brief synopsis of someone's life, then that would be fine, but often it isn't.  The personality is lost when facts are left out, or even twisted, as they sometimes are.  .

One of my favorite history figures is Abraham Lincoln.  There are many stereotypes that float around about him, though, and it can be hard to find where the truth ends and the fable begins/  I've hears stories telling of his great compassion for the working class, and how his kids would run around the white house without their shirts on, because that was how he grew up, and that was what he knew.  he was also the president during the Civil War, and thousands of people died while he was in presidency.  Was that unavoidable?  Did he care?  I certainly hope so, but I'd have to do some research to find out, and even then it may not be possible to know for sure. Looking  back, Abraham is probably my favorite because of his stereotypes, which may or may not be true.  

Old Friends

I've had Simon & Garfunkel's song "Old Friends" stuck in my head for awhile, and I've started thinking about friendship.  I have gotten to know a lot of new people here at Purdue, but I can't help but wonder how many of my high school friends I will keep in touch with.  I have heard that many people who had tons of friends in high school only kept a handful when they went their separate ways for college.  Granted, a good deal of my friends are actually going to Purdue, but what about the others?  One of my best friends is going to college on the east coast.  Will the distance be enough to slow our communication to a halt?  I know that I'll probably see many of my friends from church during breaks because we'll be going to church at the same time, but I probably won't see my friends from school.  Should I go out of my way to stay in touch, or move on?

In many ways it is very sad to think that I might not see some people ever again.  It makes me wonder what my last words to them were and how they'll remember me, and for how long.  In other ways, I realize that those friendships probably weren't very strong, and that I only knew them because I was bumping into them all the time.  Maybe it's better this way.  Maybe it isn't.  

Either way, I'll still have friends because I'm constantly making new ones.  It's sort of highlighted by the song "Feelin' Groovy" right after "Old Friends" on that YouTube video.  Its one way of saying that life is going to continue whether you like it or not, so why not like it?  Look on the bright side, the glass is half full, you know.  Always making new friends gives you a chance to learn about new people, experience new things, and keeps life interesting.  

The Power of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is hard.  I've been wronged a couple times, nothing serious, but it isn't always easy to just let things like that go sometimes.  In the documentary As We Forgive several people are faced with the question of forgiving the murderers of their families.  I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like.  All the emotion and memories would probably haunt me for days after just seeing that person, let alone having a deep moral conversation with them.  I'm not exactly sure if I'd be able to do it.  I'd like to, but I don't know if my emotions would get the best of me or not.  

Looking at forgiveness from a physical standpoint, it reduces stress and anxiety, I'm sure it lowers blood pressure, and probably has all sorts of other unknown health benefits.  I know that cheerful people tend to be healthier than others, and I've never heard of someone who was cheerful and held a grudge.  Spiritually, forgiveness is equally or possibly even more beneficial.  It teaches us humility, and allows us to forgive ourselves after we have done something wrong.  Nobody is perfect, and if everyone forgave others for past mistakes unbelievable changes could be brought about in the world.  I am not saying that everyone should ignore crime and other hurtful practices saying "oh, I forgive you" as they proceed to knife you.  It is more of an understanding that we are all human, and that what we have done in the past may not reflect what we are now.  We all learn from our mistakes, because if we never messed up we wouldn't be truly learning.  

I pray that if I am ever put in a situation similar to Ishmael Beah or any of the surviving Rwandans that I'd be able to forgive others as God forgives me.  

Ishmael Beah

I have been reading A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah for my English class.  Wow.  What a powerful story.  I watched an interview of him (click Here to view it) and was very impressed.  He makes several references to instances in the book, so some of the content is just a repeat of the book, but it does provide a look at what Ishmael is really like.  He seems like a person who has seen a lot of strife but doesn't show it.  He talks about extremely serious matters, yet still has a bit of a smile on his face.  It isn't a sick smile at all, it is a smile of true joy.  In his interview he says, "Just waking up in the morning is enough for me to smile and be happy."  It really makes me take a step back and wonder what it is I'm so worried about. Does it really matter?  I was moved by the book, but his interview adds a whole new dimension to his story.  His story is not over, but the book is complete.  He still struggles with nightmares and flashbacks, yet he still finds the strength to keep going.  He even talks to people about his struggles, which is a feat unto itself.  If you ever get the chance, and you think you have the stomach to handle it, I would sincerely recommend this book.  It is a powerful witness for us all.

Cooperation

Before I left for college, my Dad gave me one piece of advice that I am currently finding extremely helpful.  “Cooperation is the key to graduation.”  I am continuously discovering that it is more and more true.  The other night I spent around 2 hours with a couple friends from my Chemistry class working on the current assignment.  Oh, I should probably mention those two hours were from 12:00 – 2:00……  AM……

 

Tuesday night, I realized that I still needed to do my math homework for the following morning.  I got started on it, but wasn’t moving anywhere very quickly, so I sent a quick instant message to a friend in the class to see if I could get some help.  It turned out that he hadn’t done it either, so we met up and shared our brains on the matter.  I think I finished that math homework faster than any other assignment.  We got from start to finish in roughly 45 minutes.  I don’t plan to put it off like that again, but it was a very cool thing. 

 

Having been home schooled, I am used to working just about entirely alone, but the concept of group study really appeals to me.  I have actually been able to enjoy homework and learn in the process.  If anyone who reads this notices that I’m in the same class as you, just let me know when you want to get together to study!

Purdue Football

I got season tickets for Purdue football this year.  I did it partially because my father insisted it was part of the college experience, and I like football, so I got the tickets.  Today's game (Purdue vs. Northwestern Colorado) was awesome.  Purdue stomped them 42 - 10!  It makes me happy.  Not only am I happy that Purdue won, but Follett's gives a five percent discount on Purdue apparel for each touchdown Purdue gets!  That's thirty percent!  I might have to get another pair of shorts or something.  We also body surfed someone after every touchdown, pushing them up as many times as Purdue's score.  That was really tiring, but awesome.

There were a couple things that disappointed me.  I now look like a two-faced raccoon.  I got burned all around my sunglasses and all the sun was coming from my left.  The left side of my face is burnt much worse than the right, hence the animalistic look.  Hopefully I won't burn after this, so that may soon be remedied.  Also, after every first down we'd yell "One, two, three, four, first down!" It seemed like 3/4 of the people added the word "B****," which I just didn't think was necessary.  

I made some new friends and had fun, though, so I'm glad I went.  Maybe I'll see you at the Oregon game next week!

Ambula Cum Deo.

Some more about me......

Some call me.......

Tim?

Physically I am almost six feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds. I have green eyes and brown hair, which I usually keep pretty short. I do not play any regulated sports, but I excel at backyard sports. I am very competitive.

I spend more time on video games than I should, but I don't play them enough to call myself a gamer. I would, however, call myself a geek. I really enjoy working with computers in almost any way, even if they are being tempramental. I take more pleasure in solving a problem than stress in finding one. I enjoy reading books, though I have not made the time recently to do so.

I really enjoy movies of all kinds except horror. I just don't see the point. Signs was good because it has a meaning behind it, but all the others I've seen have been pointless. Action, adventure, fantasy, comedy, or just about anything else goes.

Roman Catholicism is the faith I profess.  I have been raised in the teachings of the Catholic Church, so feel free to ask me any questions, and if I can't answer them right away I'll get back to you as soon as I can.  

I am a full-time student at Purdue University. (BOILER UP!!!)  I am in the Honors Engineering Learning Community, and I really like it.  I live in Earhart on the 5th floor.  

Thanks for reading!