Diving In

Do you hear that? It's coming from the kitchen. It's almost like ... a scream. No, more like a whistle. A light banging on metal can be heard too. Follow the sound. It takes you to the kitchen. What is that? A pot sits upon a burning stove. The screaming gets louder. You approach the pot, and as the scream reaches unimaginable decibel levels, you dare to take off the lid. Inside a lobster thrashes about, boiling alive as it prepares to become someone's next meal. You sigh, calmly put the lid back on, and quietly walk back to your room. Your mom sees you with an odd look on your face, asking what's wrong. You reply, "Mom, you have no idea how hungry I am." I understand that lobsters may be able to feel pain. I understand that it's not fair for lobsters to be killed inhumanely for our own consumption. I understand that lobsters are only one example of the diabolical and disgusting ways animals are "prepared" for human's nourishment. I ...

While others might say  I'm greedy, I think many people can sympathize with me. All I want is a superb husband! Is that too much too ask for? I want a husband that can hit me with his "stoic" gaze and make me feel needed. I want a husband that is as rugged as the Lone Ranger  and act like it in bed. I want a husband that will go chaste for me just as Gandhi  once did, but lets me do as I please. I want a husband that gives me what I truly need :  attention. My husband must be willing to go to the depths of hell and venture through fire  to get me a Klondike bar. I want a husband that can define verisimilitude  to me when I need help for school while abandoning his own education. My husband must be strong yet gentle; almost like Harambe. I don't plan on having kids, but I expect my husband to keep track of all 387 puppies, kittens, and turtles while I lounge in the casino  I own. Concerning the casino, my husband must be the entertainment. Magic Mi...

We are all marked. Whether that marking is positive or negative, it is still there. All of us live with at least one marking, something you have intentionally strived to create or been labeled as. What if you could delete that marking; what if you could start anew? All you have to do is call Mr. Clean, and with his giant magic eraser, he will wipe away your very being. Would you do it? While Tannen does make very good points about how women are "unfairly marked" and men's stylistic choices "[are] unmarked," she fails to mention positive markings. A great athlete. A superb student. A compassionate friend. Would you be willing to lose all of these to just erase some regrets? At first glance. I think most people would rush to take up this offer. Looking deeper reveals more, however. Personally, I don't know what I would do. There are a lot of things I'm not proud of (trust me), but there are so many people and events I do cherish. A clean slate sounds ...

Staples's piece "Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space" was not an eyeopening piece to me, if I'm going to be quite honest. Racial stereotypes persist even today; people walk with "hunch[ed] postures" when walking through shady neighborhoods (Staples). Double and triple check to make sure that their cars are locked. Anxiously look around for possible muggers and intruders. These things are all evident and bound to happen. Day in and day out, our lives are constantly filled with negativity. Whether it be the news or that essay you just bombed, it feels as if we are bombarded by a never ending wave of sadness or hate. What I want to focus on is the positive aspect of influence. I'd like to think that I don't always contribute to such feelings. I'd also like to think that sometimes I negate these emotions with laughter and smiles. If you know me, you probably know that I'm a goof. Unintentional or not, I say a...