http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjFaenf1T-Y
Home- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
At the beginning of this past summer, I heard this song for the first time on stereomood.com. Stereomood is an excellent site that creates playlists for songs that fit into specific categories, like chillout and psychedelic. The great thing about Stereomood is that the playlists change often, always adding new songs. So, when I came back from Costa Rica at the end of the summer, my favorite song from Stereomood had disappeared and I just could not recall the name of it or the artists who sang it. I searched through thousands of songs, hoping that a name might jump out at me, but I found nothing. I was deeply saddened and aggravated by this... all I wanted was to hear my favorite song, and I just wasn't capable of finding it. And then a miracle occurred:
A couple of weeks ago, I was discussing music with a friend. I told her about my situation, and I tried to describe the bits and pieces that I could remember from my mystery song. AND SHE KNEW IT! We listened to the song on Youtube together, and I was so excited and amazed, I thought I might burst.
So... why am I entirely enthralled by and in love with this song? For starters, this song is unusual. A man and a woman sing it together, and at one part they have an actual conversation... and it's funny! They are successfully able to recount a real story, which only makes me love the song more. I also appreciate the sounds in this song. There is lots of whistling, and I adore that. Overall, the noises that this song makes pleases my ears to no end.
This piece is significant not only because of its beautiful sounds, but because of its message as well. The song basically reinstates that old saying, "home is where the heart is." Wherever these two characters go together, whenever they go, and whenever they're alone, they're home. Each one holds the others heart. As long as these two lovers are together, they feel home.
I think it's important for today's society to remember the power of love. People, especially Americans, tend to get wrapped up in their busy, meaningless lives at work and they forget how to love. They set it aside and don't realize that they're missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures. Home only reassures the fact that yes, one does need to experience love.
These two people in this song feel real. Their love is fierce, fun, and beautiful. I hope that other people can listen to this piece, and realize its strength and happiness and loveliness.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Carry It Forward: The Shadow Catcher
The Shadow Catcher presented many interesting ideas, but the one that I found most alluring was that of the Vision Quest. Wiggins explains in the novel that it was a ritual that Navajo Indians used to do: "Each man would leave the tribe on his vision quest at the beginning of adulthood, only to return, again, as part of the tribe, once he had experienced the vision, specific to himself, of his spiritual identity" (312). She then goes on to say that any human, no matter when they lived, takes their quest for understanding to the source and live by it. Basically put, the Navajo are not the only ones who take vision quests; every one does.
I enjoy the idea of the vision quest. The concept of going on a journey, searching through one's soul, and finding understanding is appealing to me, and probably to many others, as well. This concept is valuable because it allows one to live more clearly and profoundly for the rest of his/ her life. If one understands his/her self, then life's challenges will be less difficult for him/her, and life's pleasures will be more enjoyable. Therefore, finding one's identity is very beneficial. I like to consider it this way: to understand oneself is to understand the world.
I hope that one day in the near future, I will take my vision quest. I realize that it does not have to be a month long or a half year journey. I think it might even have the ability to happen in a day or a week. I'm not sure yet where I will go on my vision quest, but I know that it will be a mind altering experience that will solidify my identity.
I enjoy the idea of the vision quest. The concept of going on a journey, searching through one's soul, and finding understanding is appealing to me, and probably to many others, as well. This concept is valuable because it allows one to live more clearly and profoundly for the rest of his/ her life. If one understands his/her self, then life's challenges will be less difficult for him/her, and life's pleasures will be more enjoyable. Therefore, finding one's identity is very beneficial. I like to consider it this way: to understand oneself is to understand the world.
I hope that one day in the near future, I will take my vision quest. I realize that it does not have to be a month long or a half year journey. I think it might even have the ability to happen in a day or a week. I'm not sure yet where I will go on my vision quest, but I know that it will be a mind altering experience that will solidify my identity.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Metacognition: QE Essay
I have already somewhat discussed my thought process for the QE essay in a previous blog, but now having completed it I can better reflect on the way in which mind works while writing an essay.
When I read the directions for the second section of the QE Essay, I saw that I needed to use five sources from class and explore them in relation to my chosen question. Exploring is something that I've never really done before for a school essay. I was pretty flustered by it and slightly agitated... I guess this is telling me that I'm not very adaptable to change. I couldn't grasp how my sources could be used to explore my question. My mind was so set on trying to establish a point. Instead of proving a thesis, like all my other school essays, this essay used exploration as a way to understand a question. It was as if my brain was refusing to break an old habit, and I needed a better way to wrap my mind around this essay. I knew I was thoroughly confused, and in order to fix my confusion, I used an organizational technique that I like to call the bubble map.
Often when I write essays, I use outlines or diagrams to organize my thoughts. This method was especially helpful for the QE essay. By laying out my five sources surrounded by my question, I was better able to comprehend just exactly how to work this out. From this, I know that my mind works somewhat visually and methodically. I need organization so that I can clearly see what I have to do.
Even though my bubble map helped me greatly, my essay was still nowhere near perfect. After I got my rough draft back, I realized that some of my sources weren't exactly the best choices to use when reflecting on my question. Although I was frustrated to do so, I recreated three-ish of my paragraphs in hopes of better grasping the exploration process. Something that I've known for a long time about my writing brain is that it is s l o w. I write super, super slow and indecisively. Nearly every sentence I write, I go back and change. Every adjective I use, I feel like there might be a better one, so thesauruses are my best friends. Sometimes I sit at my desk for five minutes before writing a single word. It's a pain. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the careful words that my mind chooses and the way in which it composes sentences. However, writing the QE essay especially was very time consuming because of its unique structure. I wish my mind would work more efficiently and less indecisively when writing.
The QE essay proved to be a thorough challenge for my brain and I. I think we are both happy that it is finally completed.
When I read the directions for the second section of the QE Essay, I saw that I needed to use five sources from class and explore them in relation to my chosen question. Exploring is something that I've never really done before for a school essay. I was pretty flustered by it and slightly agitated... I guess this is telling me that I'm not very adaptable to change. I couldn't grasp how my sources could be used to explore my question. My mind was so set on trying to establish a point. Instead of proving a thesis, like all my other school essays, this essay used exploration as a way to understand a question. It was as if my brain was refusing to break an old habit, and I needed a better way to wrap my mind around this essay. I knew I was thoroughly confused, and in order to fix my confusion, I used an organizational technique that I like to call the bubble map.
Often when I write essays, I use outlines or diagrams to organize my thoughts. This method was especially helpful for the QE essay. By laying out my five sources surrounded by my question, I was better able to comprehend just exactly how to work this out. From this, I know that my mind works somewhat visually and methodically. I need organization so that I can clearly see what I have to do.
Even though my bubble map helped me greatly, my essay was still nowhere near perfect. After I got my rough draft back, I realized that some of my sources weren't exactly the best choices to use when reflecting on my question. Although I was frustrated to do so, I recreated three-ish of my paragraphs in hopes of better grasping the exploration process. Something that I've known for a long time about my writing brain is that it is s l o w. I write super, super slow and indecisively. Nearly every sentence I write, I go back and change. Every adjective I use, I feel like there might be a better one, so thesauruses are my best friends. Sometimes I sit at my desk for five minutes before writing a single word. It's a pain. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the careful words that my mind chooses and the way in which it composes sentences. However, writing the QE essay especially was very time consuming because of its unique structure. I wish my mind would work more efficiently and less indecisively when writing.
The QE essay proved to be a thorough challenge for my brain and I. I think we are both happy that it is finally completed.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Blogging Around
Becca's intent was to explain her unique writing style; she rarely changes phrases and sentences because she spends time on making them right the first time. Instead of planning out what she writes, she is best at starting her final draft immediately, and making each sentence authentic and valuable on her first try.
This is the comment that I left on Becca W's blog:
Hey Becca!
I just read your metacognition blog entry and I really enjoyed it. I liked reading about your mind... It seems that everyone's mind is so completely different. It's fascinating to see how your brain works in comparison to my own. I like how your writing comes out best the first time that you write it, and that you don't waste time rewriting sentences. I know that when I write, I tend to rewrite a sentence five times before it feels right, and it's utterly time consuming and frustrating. Your writing is authentic and it reflects you as an individual!
-Marlee
Sammy explained that, at first, mindbooks can be very difficult, but once you let your mind wander in a new way, they're actually quite enjoyable and beneficial. She also explained that her mind works visually. She uses aesthetically pleasing methods while taking notes, and this in turn helps her memorize things with ease.
This is the comment that I left on Sammy B's blog:
Hey Sammy,
Your blog post is impressive. I feel like I just learned a lot about you. For instance, I didn't know that you were a visual learner. It's so interesting to learn about how one organizes notes and such compared to someone else. Like you, for example, write notes with many headings using different locations around your paper. However, I tend to write my notes in sloppy lists, using arrows and circles to point out things of importance. It's amusing to see how differently two minds can work.
I liked the way that you went about your mindbook entry... I think a lot of times, when it comes to mindbooks, they come out very differently from what we first expected. It might be because our minds are working so abstractly and using new methods, they get excited and tend to change paths, finding better ways to get our messages across. I appreciate the way your mind functions.
-Marlee
This is the comment that I left on Becca W's blog:
Hey Becca!
I just read your metacognition blog entry and I really enjoyed it. I liked reading about your mind... It seems that everyone's mind is so completely different. It's fascinating to see how your brain works in comparison to my own. I like how your writing comes out best the first time that you write it, and that you don't waste time rewriting sentences. I know that when I write, I tend to rewrite a sentence five times before it feels right, and it's utterly time consuming and frustrating. Your writing is authentic and it reflects you as an individual!
-Marlee
Sammy explained that, at first, mindbooks can be very difficult, but once you let your mind wander in a new way, they're actually quite enjoyable and beneficial. She also explained that her mind works visually. She uses aesthetically pleasing methods while taking notes, and this in turn helps her memorize things with ease.
This is the comment that I left on Sammy B's blog:
Hey Sammy,
Your blog post is impressive. I feel like I just learned a lot about you. For instance, I didn't know that you were a visual learner. It's so interesting to learn about how one organizes notes and such compared to someone else. Like you, for example, write notes with many headings using different locations around your paper. However, I tend to write my notes in sloppy lists, using arrows and circles to point out things of importance. It's amusing to see how differently two minds can work.
I liked the way that you went about your mindbook entry... I think a lot of times, when it comes to mindbooks, they come out very differently from what we first expected. It might be because our minds are working so abstractly and using new methods, they get excited and tend to change paths, finding better ways to get our messages across. I appreciate the way your mind functions.
-Marlee
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