Take the Chance

Earlier this week I was reading Maddie's blog called "What If" about questioning ideas and the past. She mentioned a few "what if" situations and how they would have made an impact if different actions had been taken. I feel very differently about asking "what ifs" all the time.  How can you make progress if you're always second guessing?  In order to further yourself or a situation, you need to take risks and stop worrying about all the negatives or dwelling on pessimistic possibilities.  I'm not saying decisions should be made impulsively at all.  In fact, I believe they should be thought through thoroughly.  However, wondering what if this happens or what if that happens all the time just holds back progress.  It is very difficult to get anywhere without making a few mistakes here and there.  Instead of dreading the worst, take the jump and learn from your mistakes to improve plans for the future.

Spring Break Socializing

For me, spring break is supposed to be a time to relax and forget about all the stress going on.  This doesn't really apply for the people who go away on vacation but those at home don't seem to be using this as a break at all!! I feel like most people are going nonstop during their spring break at home! My friends seem to be making 10 different plans at once and going all over the place from when they wake up until when they go home to go to sleep.  I've been chilling out a great amount during this week and still have time to see my friends without overwhelming myself.  I don't completely understand this mad rush to hang out with as many people and do as many things as possible during spring break though.  I know I would get exhausted if I was running around half as much as some of my friends do! Do you use spring break as a time to sit back and relax, a time to be with friends as much as humanly possible, or somewhere in between?

Reconstruction

The week before spring break, our class worked on Reconstruction projects for the south.  Some classmates felt that in present times, the south and north are well integrated.  However, some also felt the opposite. In my opinion, the south and north distance themselves from each other and biases, culture, and more tend to be very different between the two.  I also feel that there seems to be a feeling of superiority in both the north and the south.  The south has this idea that "everything is bigger in texas" and that they are better than northerners, while the north believes that they are the more superior ones and that southerners are hicks or hillbillies.  In the book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, Ted Rall, a liberal in the north even stated: "We eat better, travel more, dress better, watch cooler movies, earn better salaries, meet more interesting people, listen to better music and know more about what's going on in the world.  If you voted for Bush, we accept that we have to share the country with you. We're adjusting to the possibility that there may be more of you than there are of us. By don't demand our respect." I do think that the north and south are more integrated than the time period around the civil war. Yet, there is obviously some separation and pride issues between the two.