Y Ahora Que?

Si han estado siguiendo esta saga, sabran entonces que pues yo soy un vato. Tengo veinte años y unos diez meses viviendo en este planeta tierra. Yo naci el trece de diciembre de mil-novecientos-noventa, un lunes, como a las diez u once de la mañana en el municipio de Uruapan en Michoacan, Mexico. Y asi, entre varias complicaciones de parto fue que yo finalmente sali ese dia en el hospital que esta frente de el parque Nacional. Se que existen razones por las que yo vine a este mundo, porque soy parte de aquellos que aun todavia no llegan al nirvana. Se que en esta vida tengo que ser mejor que en la anterior. A eso vine, a mejorar mi espiritu y para eso tengo que seguir una vida ejemplar. Esto, no por impresionar a alguien mas, si no, para que sea liberado. Bueno, a muy temprana edad yo recuerdo ser bastante curioso sobre muchas cosas. Recuerdo ser muy precoz, era bastante solitario, vivia a mi manera. Recuerdo un dia que me quize ir a limpiar parabrisas para ganar dinero, esto fue aproximadamente a los cinco. Tambien, dice por ahi, que agarre las joyas de mi madre y me sali a regalarlas a la gente (esto no se cumplio ya que una amiga de mi madre me lo impidio.) Yo creci con mi madre, mi abuelita, mis dos hermanos, y un perro. Asi fue que recibi mis primeras lecciones de vida. Creci viendo el canal cinco, en su gloria de los noventas. Mire todas las caricaturas de esa epoca, tambien ahi recicibi mis primeras influencias. Luego llego la escuela. Yo pienso que en la escuela es en donde me hice un poco mala persona. Las malas influencias, los malos habitos, la verguenza, el temor, el amor, y algunas otras cosas se me gravaron en la mente durante estos doce largos años de mi vida. Cometi el error de tratar de ser parte de los grupos mas populares. Cometi el error de lastimar los sentimientos de algunas personas inocentes. Vaya, hice de todo. Creo que nunca en verdad me llegue a conocer a mi mismo. No sabia quien era, cada dia era alguien diferente. Y no me gustaba. No me encontraba porque gracias a las fuerzas externas e internas de mis alrededores me daba miedo ser como yo era. Tenia miedo de ser tema de burla, tenia miedo de no gustarle a la gente, tenia miedo. Es asi, que la escuela me dejo muy confundido hacia mi persona. Era bueno como estudiante pero pesimo en mi mismo.
En algun periodo de estos doce años tuve que mudarme hacia otra nacion. Igual que miles de familias de America Latina tuvimos que dejar nuestro hogar para ir a un lugar foreño. Llegue a Houston, Texas con mi familia completa; mi padre que todo este tiempo estaba viviendo en California decidio ir por nosotros a Uruapan e irnos a vivir a Texas. A Texas llegue, llegue y no sabia ni que era que, era otro mundo. Era bastante raro, aqui no habia los lagos, los rios, los arboles, los animales, y ni la gente que habia en Uruapan. No me gustaba. No me acomstumbraba. Queria regresar. Pero como cualquier sueño que tiene uno en una noche profunda se fue hiendo a lo profundo de mi descanso. Aveces soñaba con Uruapan, soñaba en regresar a ver a aquel lugar que si conocia. Queria ver a mi abuelita, a mi perro, y la gente. Tres años se fueron volando aca en el gabacho y yo todavia con la ilusion de regresar. En este punto de mi vida el regresar se habia convertido en un premio si es que iba a la escuela y me portaba bien. Como regalo de dia de reyes me llego la noticia de que regresariamos ya a Uruapan. Emocionado me encontraba al saber esto, todo iba a ser tal y como lo era. Pero como cualquier otro regalo que te dan en Dia de Reyes, este tambien tenia que durarme muy poco tiempo.
Llegamos, otra vez, a el lugar que todos conocian. Todos felicez, todo igual a la normalidad. Todo seria igual. Pero no. La situacion economica estaba mal, el dinero se acabo. No teniamos fuentes de ingreso para sostenernos como familia. Todo empezo mal. Depues mi abuelita se enfermo y murio. Aquella señora de piel blanca y pelo gris, con lentes grandes, manos grandes y arrugadas, su chal, su andadera, su olor a longevidad no los volvia a experimentar jamas. Se fueron. Desvanecieron. No llore. No se me daba. No se que habia pasado. Se fue.
Ahora si, sin dinero y con la moral baja pues no habia nada mas que hacer en Uruapan. Todo estaba perdido. Para que quedarnos si no habia nada alentador?
De regreso a el lugar donde la carrera nunca termina. Si pudiera describir a los Estados Unidos lo pondria asi. Es un lugar frio, un sotano, donde existen demasiadas personas buscando la felicidad, todas en el mismo cuarto. Todas gritando, tratando de aventajar en una carrera en donde no se ve el premio. Asi como una carrera de perros donde los perros siguen a el conejo. Todos amontonados, tratando de salir de la meta; pero es imposible. Los que si logran salir arrastrandose se paran y comienzan a trotar solo para ser derribados por alguien mas que trata de aventajar. Y asi, y asi. Todo este espectaculo entreteniendo a las gradas donde se encuentran los hombres blancos mas poderosos de el mundo, los mas ricos. Ellos dictan cuando empieza la carrera, cuando termina, quien gana, y quien pierde. Ellos deciden quien se puede acercar a la meta, solo para dejar a ese pobre imbecil sentir la gloria. Y despues, agotado de el cansancio Muere. Esta imagen es este lugar. Ultimamente, los dueños de las vidas son ellos.
Bueno, en que estaba? Ahh, si. De regreso, aqui llegamos otra vez a lo mismo. Escuela. por otros seis años segui en lo mismo. Hasta que me gradue. Sali y entre a el colegio. Aqui conoci a la filosofia. Esta materia de la vida me facino. Yo le dije a mi profesor, "Esta es la unica clase con la que me e podido relacionar y en verdad entender. Y estoy hablando desde el dia en que empece la escuela!" Si, es mucho tiempo para poder al fin llegar a algo familiar. Llegue a algo que se sentia como aquellos recuerdos que tengo de Uruapan. Aquellas personas, lugares, y circumstancias que tanto adoro solo existen en mi memoria. Todo aquello que algun dia fue en realidad hoy en dia no existe en materia, solo en fragmentos de recuerdos. Con eso me conformo. Pero, asi sigo. Con la filosofia. Con la vida. Con los seres vivientes y no vivientes. Sigo en la carrera; vivo.

A New Start

With a new year comes changes. Many changes. I am at the time of my life where I am beginning to experience independence. I am trying to experience new things in every aspect of my life. Yes, everything. I really do not care much for what happens, I know I will be okay somehow. Anyways, I have made major changes in my life I am beginning to see myself in the future. So, with this new year I have a lot more chances to experience life to the fullest of my potential. I have secluded myself from people who were of a negative influence in my persona. I plan to be as honest as I can to everyone, including myself. I expect nothing but good things from these changes. Okay, so enough of me.

Today is Monday, January 17 2010. I am here, in some city of Texas. It is cold, grey skies, and there is not much to do today. The reason behind everyone's lazy Monday is a holiday. Here in America we have sort of a "Free" day; a free day meaning as in no school or for some, no work. It is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist that fought for the equality of his people, the African American. He was a religious activist that was the voice of the oppressed during the 60's. The 60's was the decade that marked the beginning of the end of obscurity for the Black community. There had always been black people in America ever since slavery began. Time progressed and everything was the same, except that the slaves began to become familiar to this land. Generations and generations of families were born in the land where they had been taken against their will. For the next years these people would pretty much become part of the nation. They were always there, always present, but they were never really noticed. Crimes were committed upon these individuals for the only excuse of being what they were. They were black, they were slaves, they were not human beings, but a tool a means to an end. Slaves were used for one sole purpose; to work. The life of a slave was simple; be born, work, reproduce and die. In between the stages of life nothing but horrible treatments for most of these human beings. It was truly horrible. But as always, for human beings, the rule will always apply. Human beings will always seek knowledge and a better condition for him and his offspring. That was something that the rulers of the slaves were unaware of, of human nature. They had forgotten that these people were just like anyone else, a human being, a spirit, a force. The generations came and went, with this a bigger population. The silence that was instilled in the sad, terrorized, faces of the slaves slowly but surely became into a whisper, a murmur, and gradually into a voice. The silence was broken forever, the giant awoke. What had always been there became evident. They were here and there. And just as sparks of wild fire spread here and there flying up in the air carried with the wind; the African American had stood up. The short lives of these sparks became a model to follow for the rest. Now, everyone had looked up to the sky and seen the wonders of what could happen. The lives of men and women who said a big Fuck You to the rules became fuel for the fire. Individuals that sacrificed themselves to prove that it was not correct. Amongst the many in history that you might know one African American made a huge impact in the 60s. Martin Luther King Jr. At a time when the Black Community could not find a secure voice to speak of their needs came Reverend King. He envisioned a future full of hope and equality. King, being the spark of fire that got to be carried by the wind, had to extinguish. He was killed, but the voice of the Blacks had now been found. Today, more than forty years after his life what can be said?

Thank You

So, my questions, to whoever is still out there reading this for pleasure is...

Has anything changed?

Is there still slaves here in the United States?

Who are the new Slaves?

Where is the voice?

Have we learned anything?

Comments?

I leave this post with one thing. 

"One Day"

More Stuff

So another Monday and I have just the thing for today. A while ago I was asked this question in one of my school assignments.

• An interesting relationship is the one between reason and faith, religion and science.  Since reason & science are often paired in opposition to faith & religion, people often have strong feelings about both, loving one while hating the other, on both sides. Share your own thoughts on the relationship between faith and reason, science and religion.  Where does reason end and faith begin?  Or, are the two inseparable?  Can one help the other or are they necessarily opposites?  Do you even accept faith at all as a viable means of gaining answers or do you have to see in order to accept something as truth?  Are you comfortable believing that there are some things humans will never figure out the answers to through reason and science? (The first answer was at the beginning of the semester and the second was at the end of the semester, it is a compare and contrast of how much we had grown in religious terms.)

·         Reason is when you see something, experience it, understand it, and finally live with it. Faith is more like a feeling; you know you have it, sometimes hard to control, it is not reasonable sometimes. The mind can make do of both, reason comes from understanding your experiences, and faith comes from the unknown, untamed side of the mind. We don’t exercise this concept a lot, we do not use it enough to feel it completely, experience it completely, let alone understand it. Both of these have their proper field where one does not usually cross into the other. Science and Religion do not go hand in hand; the same applies when talking comparing Reason and Faith. Just like in Algebra we solve for the unknown variable, life seems to follow the same pattern. For anything we cannot solve use Faith, faith helps us solve many of the world’s greatest enigmas. It has been done so for millions of years, should we change what works for us humans? Is there some way to evolve from our way of thinking? Who knows? I have faith that we can.

·         Now that I somewhat understand some of the spiritual side of this world I can truly make a fair judgment. Science and Reason can sometimes NOT agree, they go well most of the times when trying to solve many problems faced by humans. Faith and Religion, in my eyes, are very much like Science and Reason. If we take a look at how things were done years before science and reason were developed we can see that people were already trying to explain things by faith and religion. Yes, they had the curiosity and ventured to ask things such as, “Why does it rain?” In efforts to explain this event people formulated a scheme were a god existed and gave them water for the crops. This can be seen as a very basic step in the Scientific Method. They formulated that because it rained, the gods were happy and wanted their people to live joyous. When it did not rain, they asked the same question, “Why does it not rain?” So, again they came up with the theory that it was their god being unhappy with them. So, (at least in my country) the people would find out ways to make the gods happy. Some would sacrifice, some would pray, and eventually as the years came and the methods were perfected many more methods came about. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they did not; but it was this way that Faith and Religion worked to solve the unexplainable. Years later people would eventually set off fireworks that reached the skies and filled the atmosphere with the burnt produce of combustion. Who knew that by setting off a firework in the sky, that the reaction would produce a chemical imbalance in the air that may produce precipitation? So we cannot discard the fact that it has been faith and religion that has brought upon science and reason to existence.

What would you answer if asked the same?

Old School

Hello there, its been very hectic the past days for I havent had time to write in here. So, in efforts to keep this place as alive as possible I am posting stuff I wrote in the past. All of these things I will post have been works I have done in the past and I dont consider them that good. I think that they are alright and not so very clear. You might have to research a little to understand what I am talking about. So here goes!

Descartes Reviewed
(Find his Meditations here)

Rene Descartes was a French philosopher who wrote the controversial Meditations in 1641. At the time his work was majorly criticized, in this era, religion had much more power and say. This is how when he released his work, the church and many religious leaders opposed  and frowned upon some of the declarations made in this well thought out series of meditations. A statement that is controversial in today’s society, but powerful, is in the Third Meditation. The third meditation basically states that God, is true and that it is the highest degree. Which cannot go be fully understood without one of Descartes criteria for finding what is true. Descartes designs a “system” to prove that what one experiences is in fact real of not, he calls this “clear and distinct”. If something like a cup of water is clear and distinct it must feel to the senses as clear and distinct but also to the mind. So, back to the matter at hand, in the Third Meditation, Descartes makes the declaration that god is and must be “clear and distinct”. This declaration has a few errors, for one; How can one be “clear and distinct” about god if you cannot experience him, and two; this whole work by Descartes was published at a time where thinking otherwise would mean death. So you see the problems that arise when one truly thinks not only about the matter at hand but furthermore from the subject and its surroundings. Descartes like St. Anselm, set a very childish argument, one which is practically set up as to where you are wrong if you oppose the belief that God is in fact “that than which nothing greater can be conceived”. Descartes takes this same basic principle and only modifies the wording. God is not in fact “clear and distinct” if it was we could experience him and know for fact his existence. In addition, what kind of God, if not one that does not wish to deceive us, does not make himself “clear and distinct”, why must we suffer in the search for his love? Perhaps finding the so called unmoved mover, is the path to enlightenment? Whatever might be the case, one really might never know. However, one thing that is certain is of the oppression that Descartes and many other thinkers during this era faced if they ever dared to oppose the church. Many great thinkers were burned alive for thinking that the earth was round, and even worse to think that this God whom they were forced to venerate was in fact real. The one thing that history teaches us is that one mustn’t go on the contrary of powerful entities like the government or church; for it is only death that follows this disobedience. So this is why Descartes whole arguments seem weaker when one really puts the historical context in play. Descartes theories have reinforced many believes out there but it CAN be argued that it is based on oppression.