“chirila in licee”

May 27, 2009 at 5:32 pm (my experiences, philosophy)
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tudor chirila, the lead voice of the band vama veche, has sustained a program recently. he talked to teenagers of several bucharest high-schools about career choice, about choices in general. moreover, he offered a few personal opinions on studying and culture.

let’s take the ups and downs of this experience, for they were both mixed together. firstly, many of my classmates refused to come, considering chirila was someone who had nothing to learn them. don’t get me wrong, i wasn’t at all confused and waiting for someone to show me what i want to do from now on. but i think that each person we talk to gives us a little bit of themselves, while getting a little bit of us.and the alternative was going home, which is something that i get to do daily – so i think it was worth.

to start with the bad parts – not being pessimistic, they’re only fewer – he seemed a little bit too clinched to his own ideas, in spite of the obvious opening he had. what i mean is that at a certain point, his arguments sounded a bit like “because i say so”, which wouldn’t be such a strong argument if you asked me.

as for the good parts, well i was highly impressed by the way he sees culture, general knowledge. he argued that the only way to be truly outranked is not by money or social power, but by means of knowledge; that there is that awkward moment while having a conversation when the other asks whether you have read the book x. and if not x, perhaps y? or maybe z? no…oh…okay… that is the moment when they get higher than you are, and you feel it even though the other doesn’t show it.

what is more, he asked us “are money the goal or the consequence of your job?”. of course, there were more the ones who saw money as a goal – i have to disagree. i believe that you can, for a limited period of time, do something that you don’t like because you have to. but doing it over and over again? we, romanians, are one of the only civilisations that see change as a bad thing. i mean, try by all means to do that thing you enjoy most. and perhaps it doesn’t work out all that good, or maybe you see you don’t really like it…do something else. why are so many people afraid of change? i’m seventeen, and if we don’t have the time to change us, to change things around us….than who has it anymore?

one of the last subjects discussed were role models – parents and teachers and other people who have ever influenced our way of thinking. one of the answers from the crowd was that we do not need models, that we should be able to know what we want by ourselves. some guy said he knew someone who wanted to get big…how can you get big without comparing yourself to someone else? of course, i am who i am and i can be defined according to principles alone. but when you decide you don’t want to be good, but great? when you know you want to be big, you want to be the best? that is the moment when you have to see yourself in relation with others. as i’ve already said, every single person i have ever talked to has paid their part to who i am today. i know people i don’t like, and they are models of “not like this”. having a model does not mean wanting to be a clone of a certain someone…but wishing to get to master that one ability you admire about them – it may only be a kind smile, or an always well-intended word to say. it may be almost nothing, though it always is a lot.  so yes, i am a puzzle. a puzzle made of those pieces that the rest of the world gave me. i am every person i ever admired and none of those i didn’t like…i’m part of this world, so this world has to be a part of me.

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a job well done

April 8, 2009 at 10:11 pm (my experiences, philosophy, Uncategorized)
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i guess that each and everyone of us has at least once in their lives experienced the exciting feeling of a job well done. it doesn’t matter the exact action, it may even not be an action after all. it can be merely a thought, an idea that we had turned upside down a million times, until it has reached its most satisfying definition.

it’s almost midnight and i have spent this entire day doing – sort of speaking – one of the things i enjoy most: biology. though an impossible subject for others, i find it fascinating. it simply reaches out for me, calling, screaming for attention. the understanding of a living unit, the discovery of the metamorphosis from cell to infant, the mechanism of thoughts…the simple knowing. i think that’s what attracts me most – knowing and understanding the world around me, what exists, and how does it exist. but this wasn’t my topic and i got carried away.

the point was that i’m not that person who only sleeps 3 or 4 hours per night. not even close. an 8 to 9 hours sleep would be more likely, and at this hour of the night i usually dream already 🙂 but the excitement of learning new – biology – things is far more energizing than anything else. i only stopped because i had finished what i had to do for today. it is my firm belief that anyone has little joys like my own, and i sincerely cannot imagine how anything could keep you focused like those things that interest you.

so, i cry out to you – don’t get bored, don’t ever get bored. find time amongst the things you need to do for those that captivate your mind, your spirit, your being on the whole. perhaps you still don’t know what it is…find out! try anything – reading a book, perhaps certain subjects, photography, jogging…who knows? but it’s the best high one can get – being at your best, without losing yourself.

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simply happy

April 1, 2009 at 7:35 pm (my experiences, philosophy)
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and so it’s spring again…

i love spring. it’s all so green and new and fresh… it’s all just born, not tired yet, neither sad, since there hasn’t been enough time  to feel blue already. i find it amazing, the way everything comes back to life…the nature renews, the children fill the parks with laughter, everybody is filled with a shinning energy. the city becomes a sort of busy, buzzing hive.

i want to share this spring with you, with everybody. i wish people knew better than to complain and be unhappy over and over again. of course there are bad things happening, needless to say there are things that make us weak and unsafe. but perhaps there can be a way out of it. maybe it cannot solve the problems one may have, but at the very least, spring should cheer us up. taking one step back from this ideal world of everlasting green, a step back into reality, i find the shy sunlight of spring very attractive, very exciting.

spring makes me want to stay outside, to read more…somehow even school is more fascinating in the spring. it makes me see, more than ever, that learning is not a theft of liberty, but merely a key to the real freedom, one can only achieve by knowing. how can some prefer to sleep all day, instead of getting out, of learning more?! i’m not talking about specifically math, or science…learning about things around you, using them as tools to self-discovery. i find each spring a new me, in a new form, with other thoughts than the ones i had already have…

how can some allow themselves to be lazy? it’s spring! find a quiet bench in the park, with a good book in your hands. read your favorite novel, or even better a new one! stop wondering what could you win from yet another book? what do you have to lose? stop skipping classes just because you’re bored, how can you be bored? we’re so young, and fresh, and with so many abilities…there’s nothing to stop us now – no job, no responsibilities, no fears. our only enemy right now is the time, the time that takes us away from the childhood we enjoy…don’t be bored. find yourself new things to discover each day, in order to never get bored.

as for the grown-ups..yes, you do have to worry, you do have to make sure that we can make it through another day. yet find time to talk to us, to feel the spring alongside with us, teenagers…ask us how we feel, and wait to listen our answers. find time to make us believe we’re special for you, or even better, find time to let you know you’re special for yourself. you’ve done so much…take a breath. see how far you’ve arrived? all the work you have always been doing, it was never meant to be for nothing. you are someone now…you are you, perhaps the best you you can be!

it’s spring…enjoy!

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take it or leave it

March 25, 2009 at 8:40 pm (philosophy)
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while it is true that some may make wrong choices, or do something  wrong , and need a way to make things right again, when it comes to opportunities i don’t believe there is such thing as second chance.

as infants, parents protect us, and call the shots on our behalf. there is a certain moment, when they can’t anymore. or at least they shouldn’t. life and society are not perfectly organised, in order to make room for everyone. when you want to advance in your career, society doesn’t give you the <but of course, you deserve it, if not for anything else, for being such a cutie> card.  you have to work your own way to the top, trusting friends to support you, but only you to advance. and here opportunity comes into picture. a surprisingly good offer, if it is still good after a short closer look, has to be accepted. nobody waits for anybody to be ready. as i said, it’s always take it or leave it. there’s no such thing as reconsidering or changes of mind.

naturally, i don’t come to say one should toss a lifetime’s work away. there is a certain necessity for judgement, and thorough understanding of the offer. my point is that you simply cannot suppose that everyone will be there waiting for you. the only thing to be done is a quick balancing, so as to decide what is more important for you. not to mention, each time you turn down an opportunity, there will be, without doubt, someone there, eagerly waiting for you to leave it. to sum things up…any choice is better than no choice at all

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equality

March 11, 2009 at 6:24 pm (philosophy)
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so, i had this assignment in english class, to comment on the following quote:<<what makes equality such a difficult subject is that we only want it with our superiors>>(henry becque). the whole point seemed to be agreeing on the fact that indeed we do look for being equals with those above us, and oh, how lousy that made us feel. my only question here is…so what’s the problem?

i don’t believe people are born as equals. i don’t believe we ever are equals with anyone. some are born in europe or the u.s. , others in middle africa.  some come from higher social environments, some are mere some junkey’s kid. needless to say, i am convinced that we should, as humans, at least have equal rights. but we don’t.

in addition, we dare to grow up. from this point forward, we are done talking about any sort of equality – but again, i don’t really see the problem here. some are keen on math, others would rather fancy a good book. some may prefer to like nothing, others to like everything. to a certain extent, some may have no problem with having nothing, others want it all. so no, we are not at all equals.

moreover, as far as i’m concerned, i find no valuable argument for desiring equality with my inferiors. i do have, obviously, respect for them as individuals, but it seems to me that one should always look forward. the whole point in life is evolving, and that can only be done by moving from good to better, not the other way around. nevertheless, one should always take into account the fact that what goes around, comes around. we couldn’t have equaled our superiors if they hadn’t let us. likewise, though we should not agree to being equals with inferiors, we do have the moral obligation of allowing them to be with us, as long as they deserve it.

to put it briefly yes, we do want equality with our superiors. and that, from where i stand, is nothing but a way of improving.

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personality

February 11, 2009 at 5:31 pm (philosophy)
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i live in a world full of “I”-s. each and everyone of those i know is self-centred, at least at a certain level. but what really made me think was the over-estimated opinion some may have regarding their personality. you see, some of my classmates tend to think of me as being that nerd that has a passion for studying and pleasing teachers. they’re better than me in so many ways, i cannot even count them. and the first issue is that they do have this weird characteristic i keep mentioning, while i don’t. but here comes the funniest part: how come i see it completely in reverse?

i notice them wondering around, in groups. they smoke together, they talk dirty together, act cool and jerk others around together. yet, i’ve never seen any of them acting like this on their own. even more, try asking one of them why he/she is the way they are. they’ll just say “it’s the trend, it’s how these things work.” . on the other side of the hand, i’ve never had a problem with being the freakthat reads and learns. i enjoy finding out new stuff every day, and i enjoy passing it over to my subconscious in order to be stored. i never thought it’s anyone’s problem but mine the way i choose to be, without discussing right now whether it’s the right way or not.

and now i come to ask. who is it who lacks personality. yes, they do have nerve, they ignore other’s opinions,but only if you don’t separate them- is that what personality is really about?

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