Saturday, September 19, 2009

Learning to Respect Women, and The Best Day of School I've Ever Had

Life is good, and if I continue it in the spirit that enraptured me today, I will be well on my way to getting and being better.

I see of excellent events that occurred today, I have only enough energy left to tell of: 1) one highlight of the day, and 2) the results of this venture.

The circumstances were perfect. We finished running through the play on Thursday, and I didn't tell my parents, which meant I had to stay at school until five o'clock. My English teacher, upon hearing this, immediately invited me to my school's JustPeace Coffeehouse Meeting. There, the workshop presentations revolve around social issues such as Urban Agriculture, Christianity and War, Women and Advertising, etc. Why not?

Interestingly enough, one of my friends tried to persuade not to go because (not sure if he was joking anymore) they were a bunch of liberals who were blinded to how the world really operates. Seeing as I have no real political standings (and I don't see how a sane person could), I wanted to check it out regardless. Admission was five dollars, but another friend and teacher allowed me in for free because they knew I'd take a genuine interest and wasn't just there for all the sweets. And there were a lot of sweets.

So I went to the Objectification of Women in Advertising workshop. What a rush of discussion, presentation, and interpretation! I've never participated more actively in a meeting like this. The advertisements ranged from humorous to subtly misogynistic to flat out humiliating to abstractly satirical (without the company knowing, of course). The whole experience made my stomach and head hurt, but I'm glad I went through it. Giving the horribly feelings I've had about my instinctive reactions to girls recently (this week, I apologized to three girls in the play for no reason at all, advising them to read James Joyce's "Araby" for clarification), this workshop was exactly what I needed to get put back on the right stream-of-consciousness. I've even been invited to join the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, which I will be joining.

How incredible I felt because of the day that I hope continue feeling this way to the end of my days. And to do that, I must work, work, work at it and never let anyone get my spirits down. I'm glad I was persuaded by my friend not to attend the meeting. The guide of open-mindedness lead me to this workshop, and I've benefited so much from it. I feel much more confident and ready for life than I ever have. I can't wait to do more. I need to get away from home to do so, or risk going back into a routine complacency that gets me nowhere.

All in all, I want to thank God for his patience and everyone on Earth for their help, individuality (or characteristic lack thereof), and share of the Truth. I thank you, and will continue to march forward.

D'Angelo - "I Found My Smile Again"

The Beatles - "Baby, You're a Rich Man"

No comments:

Post a Comment