I Think You're Right Rousseau and Whitman
It was not until Rousseau came along that the idea that history changes first came about. Coined history's first sociologist, Rousseau believed that history was in a constant changing cycle and that what you see today is a social construct. He also believed, consequently, in the diea of progress. He is said to have invented the idea of progressivism. WIth such statements, he therefore believed that evil could be eliminated and that society could become a better place.
Walt Whitman, the more notable poet, also had his own twist on Rousseau. Whitman believed that epistemology and ontology were not important and do not lead to understanding truth. Instead, Whitman proposed that by examining everyday life, one could come to understand people. This is because every era is different and universal truths about human nature can be outdated.
This past semester has made me become very much in tune with these two philosophers. I have climed the highest mountains and experienced the rocky roads and the pleasant waterfalls that accompany it. Equally true, through the horrendous experiences I have had, I have learned better who I am and changed a lot of my perceptions about the world. To know yourself is kind of a nice feeling.
For starters, I have always believed in God. He is a universal truth. But I also believe that life holds other truths to it as well. Some things, even found in the Bible, are dependent upon society and are not transcendent. Including homosexual marriages and musical expression. I have learned that in order to live in peace with ourselves and others, we need to love everyone and respect them for their own journeys in life. From talking with my many friends at college and having some experiences of my own, I see how hurtful it can be to a person when someone directs the traffic of your path onto different directions not suitable to your greater journey.
In addition, I have remembered that I am a dreamer and someone who tries their very hardest to accomplish dreams. I believe dreams are special things, but are of no value if not equipped with wings. I know that I am not a failure in God's eyes and that a good attitude and hardwork allows us to achieve our dreams. The moment we give up is the moment we're screwed.
I also was reminded that I like to pray. I believe God loves me and here's me, and even if he sounds silent to me and he speaks nothing in plain words to me, he listens. Listeing is kind of nice. I thoroughly believe with every fiber of my being that God accepts and loves everyone. I think a lot of people view him as the monster society creates when trying to oppress, but he is not. He is uncodnitional in both his love and his ability to forgive.
I am also hopeful. Hope is a very special thing. I have always said, "The world is not hopeless because there is no hope, but because we have made it hopeless". Earlier this year, I gave up hope and I gave up trying. I just sat being caressed in this pillowsque manner in sadness and pity and heartache. Then I remembered that all healing has to start with ourselves and that I am not depression. Bad situations last a long time, a lot longer than we may want. However, it is up to us to make sure our attitudes and feelings do not. I understood that what happened was bad enough and that it was going to continue to have after effects no matter how pitiful and sad I felt. Therefore, positive thinking overtook me and I learned that the only thing I really need is that innate happiness, hope, faith, and love for myself and others. This is something no friend, situation, or stranger can take from me. It is only something I can give up, and I choose not to.
You really do have to deal with rain to get to the end of the rainbow, as Dolly Parton is famous for stating. It is not because good things in life are bad, but because bad situations help us be strong enough to who we are and therefore to love who we are. Anger is a classic example. Anger is not a bad thing, because it is a reflection on how deep our love in someone or something is that it can hurt us to such great effects. It builds character is we can learn from it, because when bad things happen, they spark change. And the one who goes distance with great determination can accomplish their dreams and touch the sky, even if figurative.
I have chased after rainbows, captured one or two. I have reached for the stars, and even held a few. I've walked that lonesome value, topped the mountains, soared the skies. I have laughed and I have cried, but I have always tried. And I have always been a dreamer and am glad that I experienced such a rough and rocky road so that I am equipped with personal joy that nobody has a right nor the power to take from me.
I thought I learned as a child that sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Apparently I always thought I understood that but was missing the big picture. I hope when you read this, you do not see it as something simple and something you already know. We have all heard it, but for me, I truly believe it now. It is inside me and it is. I am ecstatic and sporadic with this overwhelming joy!