Optical Illusions

Everything in life has been crafted for us, determined for us, and designed with us in mind. A person's personality is a reflection of multiple other personalities, with traits picked up from experiences, different people, and the media. It is almost like a real life optical illusion.

Without the media, we would have to think for ourselves, which for most people is a frightening idea. Some people think that they do think for themselves, and that they are original. However, where does our fashion come from? Where do our values come from? They come from the thoughts of media producers, supermodels, and people of authority and power. Independant thoughts are no longer valuable. Our thoughts are simply a reflection of other ideas presented by other people.

Another example of a real life optical illusion, is one that should have become extinct long ago, but in fact is still present in our society. Racism is prejudice on the basis of color. You can look at two colors side by side and not think anything significant, but you can look at two different colored people side by side and easily extrapolate preconceived notions. Who decided that colors made people different in the first place? Whoever it was, created an entire optical illusion that will be present infinitely.

Independant thoughts are no longer viable. Our own characteristics are reflections of others, and being an individual no longer carries meaning.

Loving Lululemon

When choosing an outfit, for most women, comfort is key. Lululemon Athletica clothing fits this exact criteria. As an owner of such pieces, I have never been disappointed with anything I have purchased. This line of clothing is perfect for a woman on the go, for athletic females, and for just every day. Although Lululemon specializes in yoga wear, their clothing can be worn anywhere, anytime. The comfortable fabric of “luon” (a Lululemon creation), not only is supremely comfortable, but is flexible and makes every woman's butt look good. Lululemon is always ahead of the latest technology, making their clothes fashionable, versatile, and functional. Despite their spectacular clothing line, their line of bags, water bottles, and other accessories never dissatisfy. Having purchased several bags for sports, school, and the gym, I can confidently say that they are durable, contain appropriate compartments and pouches, and still look amazing in many trendy colors and fabrics. The only downside of shopping at Lululemon Athletica are the prices. Everything in the store is priced relatively high. As a first time shopper, I was skeptical of the cost, thinking that shelling out that much money on one thing was ridiculous. However, after convincing myself to make the purchase, I never once regretted the decision. The clothing and bags last forever without wearing out, and I wear something Lululemon almost every day. Needless to say, I highly recommend this store, and almost every woman will agree.

Bloodcurdling Buoys

Looming in the water a significant length away are buoyant objects. They bob, haunting you with every ripple created on the surface, grounded by a cement block and an eerie, slimy chain. Gentle, deceiving colors lure you into their depths. The popular challenge of racing to the buoy is a game I will never participate in. One of my greatest fears is that of buoys. It's not that I have had a terrifying, life-threatening experience with one. It's more the fact that it is an odd, irrational fear that appears to be associated with nothing. I would rather jump off a cliff, feed meat to a tiger, or threaten a homeless man, than approach a buoy. I could stare at that creepy, bobbing object in the water for hours on the beach, wondering what lies beneath it. What is beyond the descending chain of peril? Is the bottom immersed in lake weed, or does it lead to a new world lurking in the depths of the lake? Once while camping, my best friend and I were floating lackadaisically on air mattresses, letting the waves carry us to a new destination. It was then that we approached a buoy. I am positive that the people on the beach thought someone was drowning. Curious, worried faces turned my way as piercing screams filled the summer air. After a panic attack and some hysterical laughter from my best friend, we approached the shore. It's hard to explain to someone the significance of an irrational fear. I'm not afraid of being made fun of. However, I am afraid of buoys. Stick and stones WON'T break my bones, but buoys will certainly be the death of me.

The Road Less Traveled

Most people change their idea of a perfect career many times throughout their lives. However, I have stuck with the same career path almost my whole life. My dream is to become a doctor. As cliche as it sounds, it is truly what I want to do. It is extremely important to persevere until you achieve the ultimate goal. Since I was a young girl, I have been researching my career path. I started preparing myself by volunteering once a week at the local hospital. Volunteer experience in the field I plan to work in is extremely important. The next step for me is four years of university education in a field of sciences. After completing that, I will write the MCAT exam to test my abilities as a possible doctor. If I score high enough, I will be able to apply to medical school. My plan is to apply to as many medical schools as I can. Entrance is extremely competitive, and I want to increase my chance of acceptance. Once I get into a program, I will work hard to achieve adequate grades to get into the profession. After completing the necessary amount of time in school, I will begin my practicum before starting my own practice. As much as I would love to specialize and become a surgeon, I do not want to spend the extra five years in school. Having a family and starting a life is more important than the money I would make. I would rather have a nine-to-five job and be under my own management in my own practice. Roughly nine years of education is a lot. However, I cannot imagine myself as anything else, and it is worth the time to carry out a life I will enjoy. As much as it is a difficult road to follow, I am confident that I will succeed and will have the life I dream of.

Journal: Slumdog Millionaire

"'Why did you throw away your lucky coin?' 'I don't need it anymore because luck comes from within.'" pg. 302, Slumdog Millionaire

Many people believe that luck is a supernatural force waiting for the right time to strike. However, is it possible to make your own luck? The main character in the novel "Slumdog Millionaire" proves that good fortune comes from within. Ram Mohammad Thomas begins as a young boy struck by poverty and unfortunate events. However, he knows that he has the power to make his situation positive.

This quote demonstrates what we lack in reality. So many people wait for luck to find them, and waste time hoping that it will strike. What people don't realize is that luck can be made. By following your intuition and doing the right things, you can create good fortune. I believe in following dreams. If you know the path you need to take in order to achieve a desired outcome, then follow it to great extents until it is yours. Depending on luck to take you to places is a mistake so many people make due to fear and uncertainty. But the reality is that you will never know until you reach the end. For me personally, I know the path I want to take in my life and will do everything I can until I see myself in that position. Ram, the main character in Slumdog Millionaire, also has a dream. His dream is to reach a better life. He does this by helping others even when he is in a traumatic situation himself. Ram never loses sight of happiness, and in the end is rewarded with love and fortune.

Luck can be made, you just have to find the strength to create it.

A Possibility

Every day, twenty-five thousand children under the age of five die because they lack access to the things we hardly even think of as necessities. What if every middle-class family sponsored one child? Could that statistic disappear? By spending twenty or thirty dollars a month, an amount that barely takes a chunk out of most salaries, we could change a struggling world. There are roughly six to seven million families in Canada. That amounts to millions of children accounted for, and cared about. However, that is just Canada. If we include all other wealthy countries, the United States, England, France, Australia, Italy, China, and Japan, we could account for millions more. Not only would it help children overseas, but it would help children and families in our own country. Giving a small amount of money every month not only buys families necessities, but it can change a persons life and circumstances. Sponsorship money goes towards education, healthcare, and the mothers that risk everything to take care of their children. Educating adolescents in developing countries could be the beginning of a new generation, and new life overseas.

If reaching out to struggling children and families in impoverished countries seems so easy, why hasn’t this idea ever been taken seriously? Should the government impose a tax that requires every family making a certain salary to sponsor a child? If it was mandatory, could it help change the world? I believe it could, but no one sees the potential in this idea. To the government, there are more pressing issues to be addressed. Why isn’t bettering the world a priority? I realize this is only one side of the argument. However, I feel it is an incredibly valid point.

An Innocent Prisoner

After the pile is sifted through with little attention paid, I am mistakenly hurdled through the air. The landing is soft, a blanket of mismatched colors. Blues, greens, periwinkles, some rough, and some luxuriously plush. This place is foreign, and certainly not the place where I am supposed to be. I am a prisoner. I should be neatly folded into place, next to replicas of myself, separated by borders of restraint. Nonetheless, I am here. The stench is quite unlike the fresh scent I have grown to know. Instead, it is replaced by a musty odor that closes in around me like a bully. More softness plunges from the sky, covering me in a sheet of miscellaneous material. Suddenly claustrophobic, I long for the structured, breathable air where under normal circumstances, I would be placed. Not today. Today I am a prisoner, captured and misplaced in unknown territory.

An earthquake erupts. Along with the other fugitives, I am placed within a new vessel. A transportation vessel, one that is carrying me towards two white boxes. The doors are opened, and accompanied by everything else, I am pushed towards the back. A bitter substance is placed upon us, except this time, it is a scent I have grown accustomed to. Suddenly, the door closes, and I find myself rotating in circles. Fast circles, and the addition of water plunges me into it’s depths. I am not ready for such an endeavor. Today I am a prisoner, unknowingly placed in a chamber of unpleasantness.

I hear a click, and the door opens. I recognize my dampness, and frown at the prospect of someone using me like this. Then, I am thrown into the second box. An abrupt wave of heat covers me as once again, I am launched into rotation. Several minutes later, after roasting in a bed of humidity, relief washes over me. I am positioned in a place of familiarity. No longer feeling foreign, I bask in the natural space. Today I was a prisoner, mistakenly propelled into an unknown situation. A dirty hamper is no place for a clean sock.