Is it a sin to long for the simplicities of youth? Grow up, Jessica. Be a real person in the real world. But why is the real world so full of confusion and complication? Why is everyone so selfish and single-minded? Why must we all disagree, argue, interfere, and destroy?
Expressing these thoughts to other human beings is pretty much impossible. I know you are all laughing. Silly, sheltered homeschooler. Grow up. THIS is reality. Peace is a dream; don't bother with the idea too much. As they say, peace sells but nobody's buyin'.
I like my box. Why do I even need to bother caring whether the government is out to get us or not? What does it matter to me? I suppose, to a degree, it is nice to be able to understand what is going on and, as Allison says, who to trust; maybe when is a good time to react to something that isn't right, or perhaps relocate someplace where I might live a more quiet and peaceful life with no outside interferences.
I really don't care what other people think of me, as long as they keep any negative thoughts to themselves. It's not as if I want to be childish and avoid the responsibilities of being an adult. I want to live, and work, and help people, and get married, and have children. I want a simple life, with little or no interference from outside parties. I only wish I could travel to and live in England for a year. But I can't. I have to have some "legitimate" "reason" which, I suppose, will prove if I am not a criminal or some such nonsense as that. Call me ignorant if you want to, but what sort of crime are they trying to avoid? And why aren't passports enough? If someone commits a crime in England, they should be tried in England, correct? Why does anybody have to be a citizen of anywhere? If you are somewhere, that is where you are, and if you aren't, then you are somewhere else.
But it's not that way. Government systems tese days prevent it. People are in power and want as much control as they can get. Laws are created, wars are started...whatever "needs" to be done.
If children ruled the world, think about how much better things would be. Those who committed wrong would be punished for it by being made to repay 100% to the person they had wronged, and that includes compensation for inconvenience and whatever else was caused by the original wrong. That is "an eye for an eye." You don't take out your wrong-doer's eye just to punish him for taking out yours. You remove the eye and use his eye as your own! Okay, that is a little absurd...as in, impossible. But you know what I mean. If someone kills somebody else, they themselves should not be killed; they should be indebted to the victim's family for life. The family can choose to hunt the murderer down and kill him, or they can make him into a personal slave, or whatever they want. Killing someone is hardly a punishment...that puts them out of their misery, end of story. Even a life in prison isn't the same, because the murderer does not compensate to the family for his wrong. Sure, a life can never be replaced or paid for. But if we're talking "eye for an eye" here, that was never meant to mean that if you kill somebody, you should likewise be killed. It's unreasonable.
I'm not saying that the world would be flawless if children ruled it, but it may be better off. Perhaps we would have equal rights for society and government alike. Kids have a good degree of common sense and of right and wrong that we really don't give them credit for. What we have now is a bunch of power-hungry fascist law school graduates who constantly theorize illogically and think they have all the answers. That doesn't make me very comfortable.
But!!! I just don't even care. I like my box. In it, there's me, my friends and family, others whom I must interact with, and the life I live. I pay taxes when necessary, and I drive on roads, drink clean water, appreciate the comfort of the fire station up the street, etc. I don't care whether this is operated by the government or a private organization, as long as whoever it is stays out of my business. It's okay to be informed, but I really don't even want to care. I am here on this earth with a deeper purpose than government. I am here for God. And if that isn't relevant to something, I shouldn't spend too much time worrying about that something.
I have my Truth, and it may not be your Truth, but it's mine. I wish it could be everyone's Truth, but it can only be your truth if you want it to be.
~Jessica
9 comments:
Hi. Long comment ahead, in whatever order stuff comes into my head. Sorry.
1. Last paragraph. So there are different Truths? So what I believe and what you believe may be different, but both True? What if what I believe is Coke is what you believe is well-used dishwater, and you just ordered a Coke at a restaurant and I'm the waiter? We're going to have a little problem, no? I hope you're not saying what I think you're saying, but could you please clarify? Thanks.
2. You can only live inside a box so much. Depending on what you're saying, you shouldn't live in one at all. How much good is a lamp in a little box all of it's own?
3. Rest and Relaxation is a legitimate reason for going to England. You could also go to study at a university, or if you have been working for a while, you could call it a 'Sabbatical'.
4. Politics is politics, and you'd get some form of it in any government. If it was child-run it would make even less sense than it does now.
5. Paragraph 5 (I think, hard to tell on the comment page). Due to that fact that humans are by nature sinful, a good government should be as abuse-proof as possible. That plan has enough loopholes to make a whale net out of. (No offence meant, mind you. Your post feels suspiciously like the rant of someone frustrated about something. Again, no offence meant. :)
6. Going to England would be very much getting out of your box. You want to go to England because it's different, no? Filled with lots of people with accents like mine. Different, and therefore not boring. Sitting inside a cardboard box would be very very mundane and boring.
I'll probably think of more later. Anyway, this little spiel is beginning to approach the length of your post, and for someone who likes to poke holes in your box, that's really pushing it. And I have other things I'm supposed to be doing.
1. What I am saying is that I have one Truth that I believe in, while other people have their Truth that they believe in. My Truth is true to me, and their Truth is true to them. I say their Truth is wrong, and they say mine is. If I go to a restaurant and you refuse to serve me a Coke because you believe it is disgustingly black and fizzy dishwater, unless we have that scientifically proved either way, you are standing strong in your belief and I in mine, because both are true to the individual. Does that clarify things?
2. I see the point you are making. Did you read that "Against Solitude" entry? I think I may have addressed this...not sure though. Don't worry, my box is usually simply exempt of things like wars or Cuban dictatorships and things like that. Things I have an opinion on, but I would just rather not have them cloud up my happy life. :)
3. I may have skipped over it, but I couldn't find a Rest and Relaxation visa. Retirement, yes. But I am not retired. I wanted to go there for a creative writing program at Oxford, actually, but I can only get a student visa if the program is full-time, and creative writing is part-time only. That was extremely disappointing (and what sparked part of the rant).
4. You're right. I guess what I mean is that I think we should think more simply, like children.
5. Well, if you could elaborate on said thousands of loopholes (not all, maybe just some major ones) I'd be much obliged. Yes, this was a rant made in haste, as rants often are. I did not research whether this would work, but I am sure you can see my intentions, point, etc.
6. Haha! Suuure, accents like yours... ;) I would like to go because, yes, it's different. I want to go and be one of those quiet people who sits in the park and writes and minds her own business. Nobody would even know I was there.... I told you earlier what my box does not contain. It does not exclude innocent travel. It's a peculiar kind of box, I suppose.
Feel free to poke more, I don't mind. :) But don't let it keep you from other obligations.
I'm not going to add anything to this, because you know my views. Have you ever read Lord of the Flies? A prime example right there why a government by children would never work.
1. Please define 'truth', I'm not sure we're using it to mean the same thing here. Also, have you read The Universe Next Door by James Sire? Specifically chapter 9, on post-modernism. If you have, how does your position relate to that?
2. So, like... happy goggles?
3. Oh, for a visa. I thought you meant for some random customs form (like the one for declaring the plutonium in your luggage). Unless I'm mistaken, you don't need a visa if you are only going for up to six months, but I'm not sure that helps you any.
4. Wondering why I didn't think of Allison's point...
5. I think I see your intentions. Rather than pointing out the loopholes, I have come up with a better point... "'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' saith the Lord". Humans can't judge because they can't know all the circumstances; only God can judge properly, and rest assured he will do so. Remember what you said about not judging other people? Also, have you read Les Miserables? At least the first bit, about the priest and the criminal (their names escape me).
6. In a leather Moleskine notebook, presumably, and living in an upper-story apartment with a view filled of the city lights at night, with no-one for company but a cat who sleeps all day on the pile of books in the corner... ^_^
Said other obligations are boring. Would you believe that I hate literary analysis papers?
I'm pretty sure she hasn't read Universe Next Door (was that a requirement for Mr. Wirtz the year you were in it? I know it was for the interns...), but Jess, I have the book if you'd like to borrow it. It's definitely worth the read. And I'm curious to your answer as well.....
Yes, that was a requirement. Very good book.
Okay, the reason I haven't responded yet is I have concluded that some explanations require another whole blog entry, which I will get to at some point (hoping for Friday or Saturday, but we'll have to see). I have not read The Universe Next Door, and apparently Allison is reading it right now, so I have to wait for her to read it, and then y'all will have to wait for me to read it, which may take a while as I'm not your typical-homeschooler-read-500-pages-in-half-an-hour-reader. I read like a darned sloth (working on that).
To clarify on the less important matters, I wanted to go and live in England so that I could take the writing course at Oxford, which is a two-year bachelors and then a two-year masters. So six-months wouldn't quite be enough, and I know I can't renew from there... :(
And while I would definitely want the moleskin notebook and a pile of books in the corner (or, in several corners, and in the corners of those corners), I would much prefer the country to the city, and a dog to a cat. ;)
And I can't believe you don't like writing literary analysis papers. That seems like something you would enjoy doing in your spare time. :P
Well, I actually had it on tuesday if you wanted to borrow it, but I didn't think you wanted it...however, I can bring it this week if you want it.
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