Mother & Son

 Throughout my 18-year life, my Mother has always been there for me, and has proved counteless times that she always will be there for me. Even though I talk back and am not always as respectful as possible, I am grateful for a Mother that would sacrifice eveerything she owns to help me out.  Since elementary school, my Mother has  given her time to help me with homework or projects. When I was younger, I could hardly understand how much my Mother was really giving. Instead of working, she used her time to make sure that I got everything I needed and more. My Mom rarely denies requests that I have for help and if she does, she always makes it up to me. I love the fact that I can always depend on my Mom for anything, whether this means picking me up or helping me put the finishing touches on a project. Along with helping me out physically, my Mother facilitates me mentally. She constantly encourages me not to settle for less than what I am capable of. Along with my Father, she has taught me that mediocrity is unacceptable when I am capable of greatness. For most things I do in life, I apply this mindset and it has worked out quite well over the years. I thank my parents for what they have done for me and attribute my success to them. Even though I won't see them as often as I do now when I'm in college, I plan to continue to learn from my parents because I truly believe that they have my best interests at heart.

How Do I Know What I Know?

The only way that I know what I know is that I've been told that this world and the people in it are my reality. Because there really aren't too many other options than accept this as truth, I have accepted this reality as my own. Through my own experiences, I have learned more and more, which I proves to me that I have the capacity to remember things and learn from them. I think that this is a prime example of me being conscious of my ability of my mind to be aware of my knowledge and the world around me. Despite being able to remember certain experiences and being told that this reality is real,  I don't have first-hand knowledge that would directly lead me to believe that I am conscious of the knowledge that I have and the information that I take in. Everyday, whether it comes from my parents, friends, or school, I process tons of information and little evidence that I am conscious of what my mind is doing. Because I want to believe that I am aware of the information I am learning, I choose to accept the conventional belief that this is our reality, but there is no sure-fire way to tell. I don't think that anyone is actually sure about whether they know or don't know they are fully aware about their existence and their thoughts. Most of us simply accept that we wake up in the same reality everyday and take in information the same way everyday.

Our Meaning

I believe that our meaning on Earth is to develop ourselves intellectually and make the best use possible of the resources we have been given. I think that we are meant to figure out how to live in the most efficient way and make the world a better place for each generation to come, if possible. As of right now, it seems that we (at least in American society) continue to drain the resources that we find on this planet, which I'm sure will have negative consequences far down the road. On the other hand, the advances that humans have made in science and technology are amazing when you think about. The fact that we have been able to take minerals ans metals and develop them to the point where I can communicate with a friend on the other side of the planet from a handheld device is absolutely amazing. I think that, from a scientific point of view, humans are bettering themselves and the world each and every day. We are discovering things that will benefit the generations that are around now, and are laying the groundwork for the next generation to advance even further. From an ecological and economic standpoint, we are probably doing more harm than good everyday that we exist on this planet. Unfortunately, the way that things have been set up depend heavily on resources such as oil. A day on Earth without any use oil would probably be the most unproductive day in decades, if not centuries. As far economic issues go for advancement and development, they are relatively short-term issues. In comparison to the large time horizons the environment and technology have, the time that it takes to change economies seems to be much less. Nonetheless, I feel that it is everyone's duty to leave what they have or had better for the next generation of people. This is the only way to promote the efficient use of the Earth and the well-being of the people that inhabit this planet.

God in 2010

In current times, I think that most people see God in a positive light. A small group of people see God as someone who brings pain to people and view Him in a negative light. There is also a group of people that don't believe in God at all. For the most part, however, I feel that God is believed to be a source of good for a majority of people. Some people question if there is a God when disasters such as hurricane Katrina occur. Others believe that God has a grand plan, and things happen (good or bad) in this world so that better things can come along in the long run. I also think that God is widely thought to be a source of good because of the tremendous amount of people that still attend church each and every Sunday. I don't know if a majority or minority of Americans attend church, but I know that many people do. These people are seeking to worship God because they feel that this is the right way to find stability in their lives. Along with going to church comes prayer, which is widely known as the way one can communicate with God and let their troubles be known. While there are people that think prayer is simply talking to yourself, many people strongly believe that God is listening and will find a way (most of the time indirectly) to help them with their problem(s). In conclusion, I believe that God is viewed in more of a positive light than negative or indifferent light in 2010. I feel this way because of firsthand and secondhand knowledge that a lot of people today still pray for God's help on a daily basis and that church is a very important place in many people's lives.