Between the Crosses

In Flanders Field the poppies blow

between the crosses row on row

that mark our place

and in the sky the larks still bravely singing fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below

we are the dead.

Short days ago we lived, felt love, saw sunset glow, but now we lie in Flanders Field.

Take up our quarrel with the foe.

To you, with failing hands, we throw the torch;

be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders Field.

 

Sidenote: I hope I didn’t miss anything. I typed it out from memory when I learned it back in fifth grade. Regardless of if you agree with war, brave men and women died and are dying away from home. They need prayer and support. I remember. We all should.

“Career choices for girls according to videogames.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allisonallison/4002407705/

One of my best friends reposted this picture on her blog from another blog(the flickr one is the original blog). It would seem that people are pretty offended by this and are getting up on top of their nice shiny internet highhorses and bashing Ubisoft for making such heinous games. I’ve been learning a lot recently about just shutting up and doing something about what bothers you. Saying “That’s offensive and unbelievable.” doesn’t make it less offensive or wrong and doesn’t change a blessed thing.

Mind you, I feel like this is an overreaction to some simple video games(as overreacting is what the internet community is wont to do). Video games ‘for boys’ always involve a few things: sports, violence, adventure. It’s not because the video game industry is forcing violence, sports and adventure on boys, boys are naturally drawn to it. In that same way, many young girls simply like many of the things those video games offer. This isn’t right obviously, especially with the way society shouts all manner of unproductive media at us(especially young girls), but I will say it again: Saying “That’s offensive and unbelievable.” doesn’t make it less offensive or wrong and doesn’t change a blessed thing. It’s easy to point out what’s wrong with something, but if you got a vote of people who are actually willing to put in the time to make a game called ‘Lawyerz’ and make it exciting for anyone(much less little girls), I am guessing the hands raised would be few and far between. We seem to be of the opinion these days that corporations are big shiny feely organizations that should be looking out for the good and good feelyness of all us consumers. I’m not sure where this notion came from. The very fact that we are referred to as “consumers” explains it all. Corporations don’t give a damn about people, they care about money(they don’t care about the environment either, they care about getting people to think they care so they can make more money). Ubisoft made those games because they knew little girls with their mothers walking through Wal-Mart would kick and scream until they got the game they want.

Does being a makeup artist make you less of a person? Where does it say “Girls Only” on those games? Where does it say “Boys Only” on other games? When did we become a society that values what we do, more than who we are? A lawyer isn’t who you are, it’s what you are. I want to point out the difference. “What” refers to objectivity. “Who” refers to identity.

A woman wants to be a lawyer. Great! I wish her the best of luck. A man wants to be a lawyer. Great! I wish him the best of luck. A woman wants to style hair for the rest of her life. Great! I wish her the best of luck. A man wants to be a make up artist. Great! I wish him the best of luck.

There is this idea among the feminist community that speaks to little girls telling them that if they don’t achieve a certain level of career then they are of less value or less of a woman. That is unbelievably wrong. A woman is a woman, regardless of what she decides to do with her life. A woman who is the Chief Executive Officer of a major corporation has no more value than the woman who has lost her will to achieve in life and is now living on the street. The homeless woman is a woman, a daughter, maybe a mother. The CEO is a woman, a daughter, maybe a mother. I see no difference in who they are, only what they are. To be honest, I would probably rather spend a day with the homeless woman. A person is a person, regardless of what he or she does with his or her life. That is where the value lies.

On Monday, I went to this place called Gleaners. They are a Christian non-profit organization that takes all the produce from farms that aren’t ‘good enough’ to be sold and uses it to make soups and other dehydrated food to be sent to other countries that suffer from poverty. Many of the apples, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, carrots have hardly anything wrong with them, some of them are too big, some of them are too small. Some are bruised and some are partially rotten. I picked up apples that I would have eaten if it had belonged to me. The first thing I noticed was that ALL of the volunteers were elderly. One man was 92 years of age. We talk a lot about how the young generation is going to lead the way to a better world. The reality is that the young generation is good at talking about things that need to be done while a bunch of old people are actually doing something to end poverty. Shut up and do something. Talking fills the air with noise. Doing something makes a difference.

 

Sidenote: Not exactly what I was planning on posting before I left for the Native Reserve, but it will do despite my straddling of two different topics that I was thinking of posting about. Oh, and Jo, this isn’t addressed to you, just people in general.

I Wish…

I had the time to really post on here and let you people know what is going on in my life. The simple truth of the matter is, however, that too much happens on a day by day basis and I have too much to do on any given day. Therefore, such other things that I enjoy in my life than work and sleeping take a back seat. The aforementioned “other things” are as follows: relaxing, facebook time-wasting, writing letters, reading(other than school reading, blogging.

As you have probably seen, this place that I do so enjoy filling with random words and thoughts is listed among the things I often have no time to do. If you are one of the people who are expecting letters from me, then I do so emphatically apologize. I am hoping to get a bunch done this weekend during a ten hour drive to a native reserve. I also have an idea and experience for a blog post that I am slowly and painstakingly putting together in my head. I will hopefully post that before I leave.

(I even used QuickPress for this. I hate using QuickPress.

Beautiful

In my mind, beautiful isn’t a word to be used liberally. It is not for the shallow or perverse of mind. It cannot be discerned from across the dance floor. It is not to be taken lightly. Beautiful means far more than the physical. Beautiful is a state of mind and soul. You can keep your sexy. You can keep your hot. I want beautiful and she’s out there somewhere.

Thought of the Day #9

People need to remind me when the last time they were perfect was. For some reason I cannot seem to recall.

Sidenote: We need to get off our high horses. Especially me.

Thought of the Day #8

As Christians we shouldn’t be living with eyes on death, focused on destination. We should live for the next day and how love can fit into it.

Not My Thought of the Day #1

It is not what we do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through us. God doesn’t want our success; He wants us. He doesn’t demand our achievements; He demands our obedience. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of paradox, where through the ugly defeat of a cross, a holy God is utterly glorified. Victory comes through defeat; healing through brokenness; finding self through losing self.

-Loving God by Charles Colson

Side Note: That is some delicious truth.

Random thought

I took a Meyers-Briggs personality test the other day as part of one of my classes. I got classified as an ENFP. For years it was obvious that I was an introvert, but within the last year or two that has changed somewhat dramatically. I am becoming much more extroverted. This is great when in regard to such things as youth work(what I am studying and doing right now), where it is much easier for me to engage in conversation and talk to people I don’t know, but I am finding a large downside to being an extrovert. Introverts recharge from alone time, chilling by themselves to process the day. Extroverts however, recharge by being in community with others, having people around to share off of their energy. One of the things I mentioned when applying for this program that I am in is that I will sometimes need alone time, time to myself.

That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

I knew I was becoming more extroverted, but the Meyers-Briggs test has helped to confirm that. Last time I took it I got INFP. I am not the type to run my life by what some test tells me, but I am alone right now, sitting in my room on my laptop and I feel significantly less energetic than I did half an hour ago when I was with a bunch of people. This isn’t the first time either.

That is the downside to being an extrovert, to recharge you need other people. Introverts can just hide to energize themselves, but extroverts need other people. If I don’t want to be tired, I have to seek people out. That works out great right now where I am living in a house with six other people, but it could be some work in future if I ever live on my own.

Anyway, I need to go find some people.

The world does not know that which is true. They do not see we broken many and few.

Independent

I am now living without my parents on the other side of the country. We’ll see how things go. Touched down in Abbotsford today at 10:30am, got picked up by some Lifeteams Alumni and met one of the girls I’ll be around this year. Took a nap and woke up in time to meet another one. Six more to meet tomorrow. Wish me luck.